


The King's Men

by Lord_Cog, MrsAlderaan



Series: The Defenders [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alchemy, Alcohol, Childhood Friends, Choose Your Own Ending, Clerics, Consensual Sex, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons Original Story, Eldritch Knight, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Escape, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fighter, Friends to Lovers, I Made Myself Cry, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Interracial By Fantasy Standards, Jealousy, Magicky Bullshit, Major Original Character(s), Mystery Vibe, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original D&D Character(s) - Freeform, Parent Death, Pining, Revenge, Rival Relationship, Rivalry, Romance, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, frienemies, rogue - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2020-12-27 23:30:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 178,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21127040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Cog/pseuds/Lord_Cog, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsAlderaan/pseuds/MrsAlderaan
Summary: Two rivals are forced to work together for the first time since childhood when they discover a dark secret harbored by the elders of their hometown, Evermore. Mysteries unveil themselves and relationships are tested as the pair learn about life, death, and the way of the world. Will they both make it out alive or will one of them be taken?





	1. Opening

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> First of all, we'd like to thank you for choosing to read our story. We are pleased to let you know that the story is currently complete, and we are simply working on edits at this time. New chapters will be posted as that gets finished. Feel free to tweet @MrsAlderaan for questions regarding that timeline. 
> 
> Second, in the nature of full disclosure, this story is being listed as a series because chapter 16 branches off into two alternate endings. 
> 
> As with Winds and Weapons, this is an original D&D story rather than the story of a campaign, so please don't forget to send us some kudos and comments. It's what keeps us motivated to write great stories for you. 
> 
> Enjoy!  
~Lord_Cog & MrsAlderaan

Kala, a beautiful and vibrant world. Rich, lush jungles, and large forests with trees so large that they seemingly go on forever. Boundless, deep cerulean oceans that could swallow continents whole, and deserts that, in their aridness, rival the element plane of earth itself.

Throughout all of this vast diverseness, a common thread connects them all. Magic. From those who practice the drudic arts, calling upon the world itself for power, to those who would sell their very soul for even a sliver of power.

The magic suffusing the world is wildly disparate, and so are its people. The people of Kala are a determined bunch, and have spread to every corner of the world, settling anywhere they deem worthy. The most harsh environment of this world is on the Northernmost continent of Yutan. It is a cold, barren tundra where even the few stray animals that make their homes there find it difficult to survive. Yet, the people are strong willed, if nothing else. In the last few centuries, people- elves, dwarves, and humans alike- have turned the Southernmost region of Yutan into not only a survivable, but a livable area with trade and livestock being the mainstays to make a livelihood. Among all the liveliness that has come from the newfound increase in trade, there is still a dark air that hangs around the people.

Even though Yutan has only just now been transformed into a more lively scene, the people have still lived here for a generations. So long was the time, that few even remember why this place was founded in the first place, except for a select few elders and officials. They know that the Northernmost mountain holds the real reason why people have lived here for so long. They make sure that this secret stays under lock and key, for knowing the truth would cause upheaval on a global scale. So, in silent secrecy, they continue to make sure things go as smoothly as possible, drawing as little attention to the country as possible.

As the world continues to go on without even so much as a passing glance to the cold country, an average sized town sits slightly farther North than others. This town is highly regarded as the most influential in the country’s secret. It rests on the river that leads to the Eyzor straights, a sea which is responsible for most of this town's resources. The town of Evermore is a quiet place. Its people, stalwart and humble. The overall demeanor, even though it is one of the coldest places on the planet, is that of pride. For they feel like they are doing a great service for the world, keeping the rest of the world safe and happy. However, there are a few who do not fully agree with this odd way of life, or, rather, they don't fully agree. Yet.

As a light snowfall gently covers the ground, two children are arguing. One grabs the hair of the other and frantically hits the other one’s head, while the other is biting the leg of the hair-puller. Within a few short moments, the two are pulled apart by their parents, and are scolded for their misconduct. These are the two that will learn the dark truth of their country.


	2. Double Isolated Pawns

Magdiana carefully lifted her window frame, expertly jimmying the apparatus open without a sound. Practice had made this ritual perfect. She picked up her shoes, tossing them in a small heap outside the window just far enough away to not land on them should she fall. Finally she lifted herself up and out of the small opening, lightly falling on the soft, freshly fallen snow from earlier in the day.

Night had fallen in Evermore several hours ago, but she couldn't sleep. Something, she wasn't sure what, had told her to be outside tonight. Once she'd gotten loose of the confines of her room, she slipped on her shoes before carefully padding out and away from her home. She was fortunate that there were no lights or fencing, and she was even more fortunate that she could see well in the dark. Tonight was much darker than normal. Only one moon was lit tonight. It was a rare event, but not as rare as all five of them going dark simultaneously.

She walked until her toes were frozen and shivers were starting to overtake her before she finally closed her eyes and listened for several long moments. When her eyes were closed, there was no defining moment. Nothing that told her that she'd been chosen for anything. She just felt calm, right, peaceful.

Her eyes opened and her neck craned up to look. To watch as the defenders did their job. Lights and flashes came occasionally over the next hour or so, and her shivers disappeared as she watched. A smile made its way across her face at the stunning beauty of the world. She pulled her coat in closer to her as the last flash disappeared from the sky. "Thank you." She muttered to whomever or whatever had called her here. It was worth dealing with the frigid environment and long walk to witness the magnificence and power of the cosmos.

Eventually, her home, the first bastion of civilization out in the tundra appeared. She started to walk faster as she sensed it, rather than hearing or seeing it. She couldn't describe the feeling, but she just knew that there was something… sinister… out there. She lifted her knees higher and her heart pounded in her chest as she ran faster, ever faster, until she was wrenching her window open and tumbling through it with the loud groan of wood against wood followed by the sound of a body falling prone.

Once she'd gathered her wits, she turned around and slammed the window closed, locking it behind her. She looked out the window, into the dark snow drifts and slow nighttime precipitation alighting on the ground. Visually, there was nothing there. Nothing she could prove was there. It was like the feeling of the hair on the back of her neck standing up, except all over her body.

The answer to her experience wasn't forthcoming. She couldn't even prove that it had happened, but she knew. There was something out there- in the mountains.

* * *

A long and restless night had taken Astero; he had been tossing and turning all night. He would be right on the verge of sleep when he would feel the presence of being watched. He had scoured his small room several times, trying to find the source, but, each time, coming up short.

A long drawn out sigh left his mouth as he fell into his pillow. He closed his eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time. As he drifted into the semblance of sleep, like that of the snow outside, he saw a small flash of light in his vision. A small spark of etheral blue light streaked his vision, and his eyes quickly shot open to see nothing but the black emptiness of his room.

He let out a growl, and punched his pillow as he slammed his face back into the offending fabric. A few short minutes later, the same feeling of being watched hit him, maybe even a growl, he sat up and walked out of his room. He would much rather just stay up all night training than deal with… whatever this was. This country was always weird, but had only gotten weirder in recent years. The odd snow storms, the influx of ships with no real cargo being dropped off, even the town acted differently, people were happier. “How could they be happy in this shit hole.” Astero thought as he punched his well worn punching bag, letting out his frustrations on his old training partner.

A mix of kicks and punches sounded throughout the room, drowning out any other noise. By the time first light had broken, Astero was well and truly tired now. Yet, he felt far more energized than whatever was ailing him earlier. He let out a sigh of relief, and took a quick shower to ready himself for the day ahead of him. Today, he had plans, and he wanted to make sure they went perfectly. Today, he had a job interview, and he wanted to make sure he was more than capable of what the job required.

He made himself look decent, and headed for his future employer. On his way, he looked over the town, seeing the liveliness that made the pit of his stomach sink. He really didn’t like the mood; it felt too forced, fake. He sighed and continued moving forward. He saw off in the distance an all too familiar face, one he both respected and hated. Over the years, Magdiana and him had fought time and time again. It was a rivalry. Neither of them knew why they did it, but it made the other stronger, so they respected the other for it. Astero hung his head and moved far around her this morning. He was too tired to put on the facade of rival at the moment, and just wanted to get today over with. So, he gritted his teeth, squared his shoulders, and pressed onward.

When Astero had arrived at the dock, which was busy given the time of day, he beelined for the dockmaster. He entered the establishment, and calmly waited for his interview. Several minutes later Astero was fuming as he left the building in a rage. He stormed home, red in the face. Someone had gotten the job before him, and they were much less qualified. When the door closed behind him, a mighty roar was heard, and sadly Astero’s training partner, his trusty punching bag, became no more.

Magdiana scowled on her way to the shop that morning. There he was, Astero. The ass. They'd been one upping each other for years, and, today, word had it, he was trying to get a job that would let him leave town on a ship. She tried to think back to a time when she had ever been allowed to leave, but came up short. Her family just didn't have roots anywhere else. She didn't like that he might have something she didn't. Do something she couldn't do or hadn't done.

When she finally made it to the shop, she let herself in, and the door rang with a small tinkling of a bell. She greeted her mother and walked to the back to start working on herbal remedies. She had been helping in the shop for some time now, and she was proud to say that she'd surpassed both of her parent's skill in the art. Something about her, they weren't sure what, just seemed to make the remedies and other products more potent and effective, and business had never been better ever since she'd taken over the blending process. She worked quietly, humming to herself on occasion. Her parents would sometimes come to the back to grab a concoction or two, but she hardly noticed them; she was engrossed in her work.

Suddenly, a commotion sounded from out front, and Magdiana sprung into action without a moment's thought, running directly to the door and pulling it open with a yank that made the wood creak in protest. She took all but a moment to process what was happening before drawing a dagger from her hip, and brandishing it in front of her in a defensive gesture. There were two of them, both with blonde hair and light eyes. Their skin was tanned and covered in scarred flesh. Clearly, they weren't from Yutan. Almost nobody around here had a complexion like that. Nor was blonde hair common. The two held swords. One was a scimitar, and the other was some sort of hand and a half sword, but she wasn't sure about the style. They were sneering, and one of them had her mother.

She didn't remember any words being said. She remembered their lips moving, but she didn't process anything beyond fear in that moment. Her eyes locked with her mother's chestnut ones, so very much like her own. It looked like she was saying goodbye. She watched as the one holding her drew his sword across the fleshy part between the neck and shoulder, pushing her mother forward. Magdiana caught her, suddenly, she was covered with red. Magdiana's hands pressed against the wound. She held firmly, eyes still locked there with her mother's as she held her. She closed her eyes like she had the night before. Nothing told her to do it. It was instinct, pure and simple. She felt a small moment of peace wash over her even as the panic settled in her chest, and, when she opened her eyes, there was still blood. But, instead of the feeling of the blood rushing past her fingertips, it was just that which had already escaped. It stopped. It was… well, not gone, but… She pulled her hands away to find the skin carefully knitted together beneath her fingers.

She blinked. Once. Twice. And again. She looked between her parents. "Mom?" She asked. "Please. Say something."

Her mother was still shaking. She was covered in blood, and even she wasn't sure what had happened. She turned to her husband. "Roderick, get the elders." She muttered before fainting. Moments later, Magdiana followed suite.

Quiet brushing came from Astero’s room as he swept up the mess that was his punching bag. He picked up the scant remains, and threw them in the trash before sitting on the couch to relax. As he let out a sigh of relief, banging came from his door. “Son of a… give me a minute.” He sighed, standing up, and walking towards the door. He didn’t make it far before the door exploded inwards, and in walked two robed men. They wielded a short sword a piece, and one quickly lunged at Astero.

Astero dodged out of the way, waving his hand and causing a small wall of force to shield him. He quickly punched the man, and stole his weapon from him before kicking him into the other robed figure. Astero eyed the two men, and his eyes narrowed; he had seen these men before, although it was many years ago. “No, not again.” He growled, lunging at the man who was attempting to stand up. Astero quickly dispatched the man, and used the shortsword to take care of the other.

He stood panting for a moment as he looked at the remains of his small apartment. He kicked one of the robed figures, and, seeing their blonde hair and lighter colored eyes, he shook his head, quickly grabbing his few things that he needed. Astero stepped on and over the man, and left the building; he was heading to the elders. They said, if something like this ever happened again, they would be able to help.

Magdiana opened her eyes, and shot up into a sitting position so quickly her head spun. She gripped her head, which was pounding painfully. "Ugh!" She groaned, flinching her eyes shut. She could hear quiet speaking nearby, but she was afraid to open her eyes now. Why did she hurt? The last thing she remembered was… Her eyes shot open again, and she called out, "Mom! Mom! Dad!"

When neither responded right away and the droning sounds of speech ground to a halt, she felt panic rise in her. No. She didn't want this. It couldn't be. They couldn't be… She began to hyperventilate as she clawed at the sheets that were keeping her in place, and, when she managed to throw them off of her, she ran to the door and threw herself through it. Her eyes found her mother, and she bolted forward, nearly knocking her over. She pulled her into a tight hug. "Mom." She cried. "I was so worried."

She felt as her mother patted her back softly. "Shh." She cooed. "It's okay. We're safe."

Magdiana barely processed the words before she started to think, and, with those thoughts, came questions that she didn't bother to filter. "Who were those people? What did they want? How did I do that? Hells, what did I even do? Are you okay? Where's Dad?"

"Maggie, calm down. I can't answer any questions if you keep asking them." Her mother laughed. "I don't know who those people were, but the elders seem to know. The ones in our shop were looking for somebody."

Her mother paused to look over at others who occupied the building with them, and this was the first time that she noticed that Astero was in the room with them. Her mother spoke a little quieter now. "But, I don't know what or who the others were looking for. How did you do that? Magic, darling. You healed me. I'm alive because of you, and your father went home to make sure it was safe with a few others."

Magdiana nodded, feeling overwhelmed. She… was a healer? But, how? She was learning other things. Herbs and poisons. How some poisonous ingredients could be used in helpful potions. She was sneaky almost naturally. She used daggers like they were a part of herself. She couldn't be a healer too. She couldn't be both of those things. Could she? She gulped as she thought, pondering the ramifications of what had just happened. She looked to her mother, but her eyes traveled to her rival. There was no way he hadn't heard. She couldn't cover this up. She sighed, closing her eyes and merely accepting her lot. When she opened them again, she saw that he was babying one of his arms where a small wound oozed blood. She frowned before standing up and walking over. She took a deep breath, and pressed a hand to the wound. When she pulled it away, it was gone like she'd known it would be.

He looked at her puzzled for a minute before she blushed. "Sorry. Uh, instinct. Don't want that to fester before our next spar."

Astero sighed and nodded at her. “Thanks, but I will be fine. You just go back and be with your mom. I will be fine here.” He said calmly, understanding the predicament she was in, having been there once before. He gave a smug grin as she turned. “Don't let your newfound magic get to your ego. I can cast spells, too, you know.” He chuckled, twirling his fingers at her. He watched as she went back to her mother before he stood up and walked over to one of the nearby men. He leaned in and whispered to the man. “Please tell me you know what is going on? Any idea on who those guys were?” He asked wanting an answer.

The other man nodded, and looked back at the young man. “Yes, Astero, we have some idea of who they were, but their exact identities are still unknown.” He sighed, not having a clear answer for him.

Magdiana couldn't help but look and listen. She'd known that Astero was alone… an orphan, but this was the first time she realized that the elders had guided him since his parent's passing. Though she was more than grateful to have her parents, she would be remiss if she didn't admit that she was jealous. She wanted the elder's attention. She was just as strong. Stronger now that she was somehow a healer, maybe, even, a cleric. Not that she really felt brand loyal to any one god. Sometimes, she just had an instinct and followed it. There was no devoted prayer. No moment of being chosen. She was just… Magdiana. Her eyes met his, and she looked away. She didn't like being caught staring at him. It felt like he was winning. She was supposed to be sneaky. She sighed, simultaneously worried for her father and anxious to learn more about the day's attack.

Astero caught the glance of Magdiana, and turned his head back to the elder. He was trying to focus on the task at hand, but he was incredibly jealous of her; she had parents that loved her after all. He gave a small frown, thinking of how his parents just disappeared one night, but quickly shook his head to clear it. He took a breath, and continued to talk with the elder. “So, who are they, and why were they attacking us?” He asked, looking at Magdiana before he looked back to the man in front of him. “It had some semblance of coordination. Both attacks happened at roughly the same time.” He surmised calmly, going over the things he knew in his head.

“You are as smart as ever, Astero.” The elder replied with a slight smile. “They are from a group that is not overly fond of our country. Some would wish to have Yutan destroyed.” He sighed, closing his eyes.

Astero blinked a few times, looking over the elder appraisingly. “What do you mean some people would want Yutan destroyed? Why? We don’t really have anything of value that would make them want us gone.” He said with a slightly louder tone.

“You will find out soon enough.” The elder replied with a look that was half-smiling half-sadness. “For now, sit back and relax, or train if that would help. You do know where the sparring room is at.” He smiled at the young man.

A long annoyed sigh left Astero as he began walking to the training area. “Fine… I’ll do as I'm told.” He sniped back before whispering under his breath. “Like always.” He shook his head, and beelined for the sparring room in question.

Magdiana didn't hesitate before extricating herself from the room. She needed to vent. Stabbing Astero would be as good an outlet as any. Now, she had the added benefit of healing him afterwards. She followed in to the room after him, slipping in before he could close the door and making him jump up in surprise when he realized he'd been followed. She pulled two of her daggers out, holding them at the ready. "Up for a spar?"

Astero rubbed his eyes for a moment before taking a step back and drawing his own set of daggers. “Fine, but I will warn you now; I will be working through some things.” He said, narrowing his eyes at her and getting himself ready for her first move.

"That makes two of us." She answered, waiting a moment before flipping a dagger over and throwing it at him. Her hand moved automatically in an unfamiliar pattern, and a bright white light flashed in the room as Astero was struck, not by the dagger, but by the strange light she'd summoned. She grabbed a third dagger from a belt holster behind her back.

Astero felt the light hit him. It wasn't much; it had only just grazed him, but it had some force behind it. As he held both daggers, he began to wave his hands, and, a second later, a bolt of fire was sent rocketing towards her. It knocked her a little off balance, and, then, he quickly threw one of the daggers at her, getting her with the blunt end. “Good. Don’t hold back.” He encouraged, cracking his knuckles and summoning the dagger back to his hand.

She grunted in frustration, using the momentum from her loss of balance to spin and kick him in the chest. "How come I always forget you can do that stupid trick with your weapons?" She followed up with a slash from the dagger in her off hand that looked like it hurt. She was very good with daggers after all.

He winced at the pain from the slash, and took a few more steps back. Astero threw both daggers onto the ground, and began to cast a new spell he had been learning. In short order, he sent a bolt of crackling lightning towards her, hitting her square in the chest. “It’s not a stupid trick. That took time to learn.” He smiled, calming himself and feeling a second wind of energy wash over him.

She winced through the pain as he cast the spell, gripping her two daggers and slashing at him three times. Two of them struck home, and one of the daggers embedded so deeply into his flesh that she couldn't wrench it free. She grabbed a fourth dagger from her person, this one on a leg holster. "Yeah. So did that."

“Son of a bitch!” He yelled out in pain. He looked back at her as she was grinning at him. “What are you grinning about? I’m still concentrating on the spell.” He smiled sending another wave of electricity through her before taking his dagger and getting her in the side of the leg.

"Ack!" She winced. She didn't consciously make the sound. It was really just a gut reaction, and she could tell that he felt like he'd won. Normally, he would have. She waved a hand more by instinct than anything, and felt some of her wounds heal. She swiped at him with her off hand again. It was a glancing blow, but she had forced him to take a step back with it.

He took a knee, and tossed the dagger at her. And, as it hit her, he made the electricity hit her one more time. Astero knew he was going to lose this fight, but he was determined to at least give it his all before he fell. He smiled at her, eager to see her next move.

She felt herself falling as the two strikes hit, so she turned the fall into a roll, tucking forward and rolling into him. Her dagger pressed firmly against his neck, but it didn't cut. "Yield." She demanded.

Astero sighed, and dropped his other dagger. “Fine. It’s yours, but only because I used one of my spells earlier fighting off two guys.” He said, sitting back and holding his side. “Damn. You're good with those.” He groaned, seeing the wound and looking at the blood on his hand.

She holstered three of her daggers and pulled out a small pouch, which she removed a green substance from before sticking it into her mouth. She chewed it just for a second before removing it. Grabbing onto her fourth dagger, which was still deeply stuck into his leg, she pulled the weapon out before shoving the wound full of the herbal remedy. "I think I used up all of my juice too." She laughed as she cleaned the bloody dagger, and holstered it as well.

He hit the ground for a moment; the pain shot through his lag, but, then, subsided. “You could have at least warned me first.” He grimaced, pulling out some bandages to start wrapping his side. Once he was done, he leaned back against a nearby wall. “Congrats on the spells by the way. With some work, you’ll be a monster.” He chuckled, now, feeling the lack of sleep hit him and yawning.

She fell back onto the floor, laying on her back and looking at the ceiling. "Well, you're welcome for healing you, I guess… ungrateful asshole." She grumbled. "Thanks, I guess. It's kinda weird to be honest."

“Yeah.” He replied, closing his eyes. “It can be weird at first, but you get used to it.” He yawned. “And, thanks…” He said opening his eyes, a bit to look at her. “For the heals, I mean. I didn’t really sleep much last night, so been going for about twenty hours straight right about now.”

"You're not alone." She replied honestly. "Went out last night. Felt something weird outside. Couldn't sleep afterwards."

“You went outside at this time of the year? Ugh, yeah. Well, there isn’t much to see out there at night. I just had the feeling of being watched, like something was in my room. Was probably just a mouse or something.” He said, laying back a bit more.

She glanced over at him from her gaze at the ceiling. "Can't you use your magicky bullshit to alarm your room or something? And, is it weird that I wasn't even cold? Right up until it felt like I was being followed, it actually was kind of… peaceful."

Astero sighed. “I could, but I don't have that one. I choose more offensive spells than defensive spells.” He replied, looking back at her. “What do you mean you didn’t feel cold? I’m pretty sure it was below freezing last night.”

"Dunno." She shrugged. "I walked, and it was cold. But, when I got where I was going, I was watching the defenders, and, I guess, I just didn't notice it. I was outside for awhile. Probably a couple hours."

“Huh, weird.” He shrugged back. “And, you said you were followed?” He asked curiously.

Another shrug. "I didn't actually see or hear anything. It was just a feeling, but it felt real."

He shivered slightly before trying to relax again. “You’re lucky. I saw what looked like eyes, and heard a growl. It might have just been from lack of sleep, but, I dunno. It was weird.”

"No." She told him firmly. "Whatever it was is real. We can't both have felt it. If I'm suddenly a healer, even though I don't talk to a deity. Then, it can't be both of our imaginations."

He sighed, and looked at her. “Well, then, what creature has etheral blue eyes? Because I am drawing a blank.”

"Will o' wisps, maybe?" She asked. "I dunno. Maybe, you got contacted by something, too. Have you done anything different lately?"

“Tried getting a job, but that ended in disaster. But, that was after me seeing the eyes.” He said honestly. “To be honest, I really don’t do much.”

"I'm out of ideas." She responded honestly. She blinked heavily. "How can I still be so wound up and so tired at the same time?"

“You and your parents were attacked right?” He asked her rhetorically, already knowing about what happened. “It takes a lot out of someone when that happens.” He sighed, trying to find a comfortable spot to get some rest.

She sighed. "Yeah. They nearly got my Mom. There was… a lot of blood."

“Trust me. It's better not to dwell on it.” He yawned. “But, for now, I'm getting some sleep. Talk to you later.” He said, turning and lying down.

She looked over at him before looking back at the ceiling and covering her eyes with an arm. He had a point. "Night." She mumbled, closing her eyes and near instantly drifting off into a slumber filled with the memories of the day's events and the feeling of being watched.

The night was uneventful with the exception of Astero having a very vivid dream of walking through ice fields. When he awoke, he looked around. He was still in the training area from the night before, and, laying in the center of it, was Magdiana shivering slightly. He stood up and placed his blanket over her before walking to use the facilities, going to get food into him. He was starving today.

She woke up with a blanket that wasn't hers draped over her in the center of the training area she'd fallen asleep in. She was surprisingly well rested for having fallen asleep on a wooden floor. She checked that all of her weapons were where they belonged before carefully folding the blanket and carrying it with her to the common area. There, she found a few other early risers eating their morning meals. She handed Astero his blanket, taking a seat and staring at the food. She wasn't even hungry. "Hi." She said quietly.

“Hey.” He nodded at her, continuing to eat his plate of food. He saw her messing with her food with a fork, and sighed. “You should eat. Most important meal of the day.”

"Don't like breakfast. Feel like I want to eat more when I have it." She responded. "I'll eat later."

“Okay, suit yourself.” He grumbled before stealing her plate of food and shoveling what was on it onto his. “More for me.” He smiled, taking another big bite of food.

Magdiana watched him eat, and fought the urge to sneer. Boys were so gross. She grabbed a glass, and filled it with juice. "I hope we can go back home today." She commented.

Astero looked at her, and shook his head a bit. “Doubtful.” He said before pointing a fork over behind his shoulder to a group of elders. “There aren’t nearly that many here in town at any given time. If they are all here in one place, that means something is up. So, you probably won’t be going home for a least a tenday if you're lucky.” He said simply, taking another bite of his food.

She rolled her eyes, realizing he was right. She grabbed a few pieces of meat off of the table. "I'm going to get some target practice, then." She said with a huff as she stormed off to the practice room again. When Astero was finally done eating, he found her tossing the scraps of food into the air and impaling it with a dagger from her other hand against targets. What was truly terrifying about it was that she was hitting the bullseye, too. "You want to spar again? I'm already bored with this place."

Astero looked at Magdiana and at the bullseye. "Not really. Seems like you are more ready to go than I am. I still need to do my morning workout." He said simply, doing a few stretches.

"Suits me just fine." She responded, walking to the targets, and pulling eight daggers out of them. "I doubt they'll let me do my morning jog. I've got all day."

He shook his head at her. "Nope. Once they put you in here, you can't leave until they say so, and there really isn't a way out. Trust me, I tried." He replied to her, beginning to do a few jumping jacks.

"You didn't try hard enough." She told him as she walked back, pulling out a piece of fabric and tying it around her head. "I've already seen one blatant exit… if you're brave enough."

Astero stopped, and looked at her curiously. "Where? I have been here for several years, and never once found a way out… Show me." He said seriously.

"The common area has a fireplace." She deadpanned. "I doubt they ever put out the fire, but, if you don't mind getting singed, you could climb up the chimney."

"Well, shit. I never thought of that." He said, sounding a good bit impressed. "I'm in. I would love to get out of here for a bit." He smiled.

She shrugged, "Part of my training." She was looking at him before she pulled the fabric over her eyes. "I'm going to finish this first." She turned to 'look' at the targets, and threw every dagger she had in quick succession. In all, there were ten daggers deeply stuck into the wooden targets. All but one was in the bullseye. She scowled at the one. "Fucker."

Astero watched her send the daggers flying into the targets, and was impressed by the flourish. He turned back, and finished his few warm ups before he walked up to a nearby target dummy and summoning a greatsword. He made a combination of quick swings and cantrips in rapid succession. He left the sword in the dummy before and going to get some water.

She retrieved her daggers, strapping them all back onto her person as she watched his impressive show of power. The sword was impractical for her, but he swung it with a practiced skill that made it look easy. His ability to flawlessly add spells into the mix made it even more impressive. "How do you tell the difference between your spells? I've mostly cast by instinct at this point. I'm not sure I really know the differences yet."

"I was taught how to cast them. There are eight different schools of spells, and it took a while to learn them." He said casually.

"Huh." She pondered. "I guess I'll have to figure it out. Maybe, the temple will help or whatever. Ready to get out of here?"

"I have been ready since you said there is a way out of here." He said, gathering his few things.

She grabbed her things, few as they may be, and lead him into the common area. It had a few people in there, and she looked at the fireplace. At least, the fire was low since it was daytime. She walked over to one of the elders that occupied the room, leaning down and whispering in his ear. With that, he and the two other elders quickly exited the room in a hurry. "We've got a few minutes. Let's go."

Astero quickly nodded, and made his way to the fire place with haste. He leapt into the flames, and scrambled to scale the fireplace, arriving at the top in short order. He reached out a hand for Magdiana, and waited for her to make her ascent.

Magdiana waited until the sounds of his movement disappeared before she ducked in, and used both arms and legs to press on either side of the chimney to scale her way up. When she got to the top, she didn't need to grab his hand. "I've got it." She insisted.

"Alright, just trying to be helpful." He sighed, turning to access the way off of the top of the building.

She alighted onto the roof, assessing the situation for all but a second before choosing a direction and hopping down onto a fresh snow drift to the ground. She fought the urge to laugh. That was fun. She eyed the area, trying to find anybody nearby. Apparently, the guards were busy with actual exit points for the building rather than the whole thing. She straightened up, and started to make her way into town. She needed to blend in if she wanted to be out and about for the day.

Astero turned to see her gone. "Son of a bitch." He sighed, and made a running start, hopping and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. After a few leaps, he found a better way to get down, and began to feel more relaxed as he began to wander around the streets.

A few minutes later, Magdiana saw Astero walking, and she snaked over to him, starting to walk silently beside him. "So, where to?" She asked casually as if she hadn't abandoned him on a roof.

He jumped slightly at her sudden appearance, and shrugged. "I don't really have any bright ideas other than finding the guy who got my job." He said with some disdain. "Unless you have a better idea."

"Honestly, I don't have a plan. I just don't like being cooped up like that." She told him. "And, if one of us is getting in trouble for sneaking out, we might as well both be in trouble."

"Works for me. They basically raised me, it is nothing I haven't heard before." He said, turning and starting to walk in the direction of where his work should have been. "Let's go meet my replacement."

"Want me to stab him?" She offered nonchalantly.

"Maybe, depends on what he is like. If he is like me, go for it. If not, I just want to have a chat with him." He said in a dark tone.

"Understood. Stab him. Then, heal him." She said just as darkly.

Astero continued to keep walking, and, eventually, stopped by a small stand. He casually browsed through the goods all the while glancing at the man who was to be his boss, waiting for someone to come up to him and ask questions. They didn't have to wait for long, and Astero's eyes nearly jumped out of his head when he saw his replacement. "You've gotta be shitting me." He angrily growled, seeing the frail man moving boxes around.

"Damn." Magdiana complained, turning around to leave the shop. "That's no fun."

His eyes narrowed before he turned back to her. "It is when he is the son of one of the elders." He said in some semblance of disbelief.

She turned back around. "Oh, now, it's fun again." She cracked her knuckles. "Don't worry. I've got this." She walked over, pretending to browse until the shop owner went into the back before she bludgeoned the younger man at the base of the neck, knocking him out before dragging him out and around the entrance and down a nearby alley.

Astero casually followed behind her, and slapped the boy awake. "Good morning. I have a few questions for you." He smiled at him.

The boy looked between the two of them before his eyes focused on Astero. "Hey, Astero. How are you doing?"

"Doing better, but really just had a quick question for you. How exactly did you get my job?" He growled angrily.

He looked like he was about to say something, but kept his mouth closed.

Astero sighed, and punched him in the face. "Please, speak up. I don't think I heard you properly there."

"I can't tell you!" He said loudly, holding his mouth.

"Can't or won't?" Magdiana asked, sounding sinister and leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Because I'm certain that our justice will be much more harsh than their punishment."

The boy looked nervous, and looked at the two of them again. "Look, my Dad just told me that I had to start working here. He said that you couldn't work. That's all I know." He stuttered nervously.

"Why couldn't I work?" Astero deadpanned. "I could out work you with both hands tied behind my back."

"I don't know. Something about you not leaving the country!" He replied while shivering from cold or fear; it was impossible to tell which.

Magdiana looked to Astero, "You can't leave the country?"

"Why can't I leave?" Astero asked shocked.

"I honestly don't know! I only know that because I overheard it I swear!" He shouted, curling into a small ball.

"The hells is going on?" Astero inquired, looking to Magdiana.

She pursed her lips. "I don't know, but we're going to find out." She promised, thunking the man on the back of the head before walking away towards his house. "Come on."

"Yeah let's." He said, sounding thoroughly confused.

Her eyes were on the swivel, looking for any guards or elders. Either they hadn't realized that she and Astero were missing yet, or they weren't looking in the right places for them. She found the elder's house, and moved to the back. She didn't want people on the street to see her picking the lock. When she got to the door, she opened her bag to remove her tools. In short order, the door was unlocked. She swung it open for Astero. "After you." She offered.

He nodded and quickly moved into the building. He looked around, and quickly found an office, beginning to look for any information he could find. In a few minutes, he found some files in question as well as another folder. He turned to look at Magdiana. "This has your name on it." He said, handing it to her.

"What?!" She gasped, grabbing the file and starting to flip through it speed reading as much as she could. She leaned back a minute later. "This is… this is everything about me." She looked pale.

"Same. Date of birth, age, weight, even my allergies." He said going through the file in detail.

"They… have some stuff in there that I thought only I knew." She blushed.

"Why do they need to know this much about us?" He asked, setting both of his hands down on the table. "There are others, but we are the top two on this list." He said, staring at her.

She grabbed her file and shoved it into her bag. "I'm not going to stay around here long enough to find out what this is for."

"Same." He said putting his folder into his bag, and moving towards the door. "Okay, where do we go next? We can't go to our homes; they know where we live." He asked more nervous than when he arrived.

"We're going to have to move South. If other people know about this, we won't be able to get on a ship out of here. You have actual adventuring supplies in your bag, right?" She asked decisively.

"Yeah, just need my sword, but I can get that anytime. Let's get going." He said stepping out the door.

She nodded. "Yeah, let's get the fuck out of here."

"Agreed, let's go." He said, watching out as she locked the door.

She snuck between buildings, making sure that they wouldn't be seen. Where, once before, she had every incentive to be jealous of and be fierce rivals with Astero, now, they needed to work together to escape… whatever this was. It was several minutes before they reached the city limits, and, soon, they were heading south. Away from home for the first time. Farther than they had ever gone.

When they were a good way out of town, Astero summoned his greatsword to him. He quickly sheathed the blade, and kept moving forward. The two silently walked on quietly contemplating their own lives and what they had learned about themselves.

"Astero?" Magdiana asked as they walked. She looked over at him. "Do you think that they'll try to find us for whatever it is that they were gathering the information for? Why do you think they have all of that, anyway? Some of the things in my file… they were really personal." Her voice broke with emotion welling up in her.

He sighed and stopped in his tracks, his hands trembling with doubt. "I don't know… I don't know anything about them anymore. From what I can tell, everything they have ever told me is a lie." He looked at his bag and back to her. "I'm pretty sure they took my parents." He murmured with a trembling voice.

Magdiana paused. She wasn't breathing. "You're serious?" She asked. She was floored. "Y- you think they would-?" Her head swiveled around, searching for the possibility of anybody following or watching them still. "They would do that? What about… what about my parents? Do you think they're safe?"

Astero shook his head quickly and shrugged. “I don’t entirely know. Did your parents have the word ‘offering’ next to their names? Because my parents had that and ‘offered’. Mag, I am completely clueless as to what is going on. What in the hells has our town been doing?” He asked her, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, but he needed to talk to someone right now; he felt like she was the only one who could help him right now.

"I…" She blinked, and dug through her file before finding her parent's names. "What in the hells does, 'unacceptable' mean? I don't know what all of this is, but… how come we didn't notice until now? It's like some super conspiracy or cult or something."

“I am just as lost as you. This is so insane it feels like this is just the world's worst prank.” He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a sigh before he looked back to Magdiana. “We just need to keep moving for now, get as far away as possible, and figure it out from there.” He said, continuing to walk on. “I think the whole country might be in on it. What this is.” He said, shaking his head.

She shivered and it wasn't from the cold. While her bag was opened, she grabbed some dried rations and started to eat, following beside him. "I'm currently regretting not eating breakfast." She grumbled. Magdiana looked over at him before she finally decided to speak. "If the entire country is in on it, then, we're safest away from here. And, we can only trust each other." She sighed, her mind going through every angle and possibility. Finally, she made a decision about something. She'd long since finished her rations, and silence had settled between them. "If it comes down to a fight, I, uh, I haven't killed a person before."

He looked at her a little shocked, but was understanding. “Don’t worry. You just get them down; I will take care of the rest.” He said simply, as if it was common place for him. “But, first, we need to have an idea of where we are heading. We can’t stay on Yutan. We are going to have to go somewhere else. Question is… where?” He asked her seriously.

She made a flippant gesture with her hands. "Assuming that they have magic more powerful than ours, nowhere is safe." She looked over at him. "But, we can disguise ourselves once we get some new clothes, and, I guess, I could try to steal us some nondetection things."

Astero sighed. There really weren’t that many places they could go that would be safe. “Yeah, that would be our best bet. I will probably get my hair cut as well; make sure I don't look the same.” He said looking at her. “You might want to do the same.” He said motioning to her hair. “Maybe even dye it.”

She frowned, but nodded solemnly. A look came over her face, and the sound of one of her daggers coming out of its holster was heard. She unfurled her long hair from the tight bun it usually resided in, and let it fall down her back. She pulled it to the side, and found a length she was happy with. The dagger cut through her hair like butter. She held onto the strands before throwing them onto the ground. "Can you burn that?"

He nodded, and cast firebolt. The hair went up in flames, and was quickly destroyed. “There.” He said in affirmation. “Later tonight, I will do the same. I can't really do it while walking like you can.” He sighed, the direness of their predicament was setting in. “You know… if we do this, we are essentially becoming traitors to our country right?”

"They betrayed us first." She said firmly, but he saw her wipe something away from the corner of her eye.

He walked up to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Trust me, I know.” He said calmly to her, even though he was just as heartbroken. “I’m convinced that there is no going back from this once we do this.” He sighed, looking towards the direction they were headed.

"I know." She mumbled quietly, thinking about how she would never see her parents again. She had left them without so much as a goodbye or a 'fuck you'. "We're going to need to walk into the night to keep ahead of any pursuers. And, I hope you have your own tent in your pack because I'm not cuddling."

Astero scoffed. “I wasn’t planning on it.” He said, narrowing his eyes at her. “Yeah, I have a tent, we will need to take turns on watch. Although, I'm more worried about what you said earlier. I really hope we find a cave or something that isn’t so far out in the open.” He said, moving faster, really not wanting to find out about being followed.

"I wish that my father hadn't married a human right now. If I was a full elf, I wouldn't need to sleep like you." She complained. "And, I'm no ranger, but we'll find a place. Uh, As?"

“Yeah?” He asked back.

"We need new names." She told him.

“Shit.” He said simply. “Well, I have no clue. Maybe, I'll go with something super common.” He said, trying to think of a name.

She pondered for only a moment. "I'll be Eri, I guess. It's a pretty common elven name."

“Of course, you think of something in just a moment.” He sighed, still pondering. Another moment passed, and he finally thought of one. “I’ll be Cedric. Not too common, but still different.” He said with a slight smile.

"Cedric." She smiled. "Sounds rich for some reason."

“Nah. I'm pretty sure it means bounty.” He chuckled.

She chuckled. "You would choose a meaningful name for being hunted down." She started to use her dagger to style her hair properly, occasionally asking him to burn the pieces. When she felt she was done, she asked. "How do I look? I don't have a mirror with me."

He looked her over with an appraising eye, making sure she looked relatively different. “Well, you still look like the girl who stabbed me just yesterday, but you look like you wouldn’t be easily recognized with what you used to look like.” He said honestly.

"I have some chemicals with me that will lighten my hair, but I'd have to wash it out." She told him. "Don't think I can do that on the road without freezing to death."

He nodded at her. “When we get to the nearest town we should probably do that there. It might not be as safe, but it wouldn’t get us killed from hypothermia.” He replied simply.

"We don't have to go to an inn. We can wait for a family to leave for work, break in, use their bathroom and whatnot, and get the fuck out of there." She explained, looking a little guilty. "Might've done that in town once or twice when my parents and I had arguments."

Astero, now Cedric, chuckled. “Then, I will leave that to you, clearly you are the expert on that.” He shook his head, and kept walking.

"Breaking and entering? Yeah." She giggled, remembering some of her antics from their school days. "I used to play pranks on our classmates in their own homes."

He laughed out loud at that, wiping away a tear of joy from his eye. “That is hilarious.” He smiled widely. He was grateful for the laugh. After everything that had happened, he needed it.

"It's good to hear you laugh, Cedric." She told him, hating the name, but having to get used to it. "Today's been…" She simply trailed off, and let the silence fill the air.

He nodded in silent agreement. “Yeah.” He said in almost a whisper. The two walked for a little while before a thought crossed his head. “Hey Eri?”

"Hmm?" She hummed in response.

“Did you ever break into my place? Because I have a feeling you did.” He said looking at her curiously.

She glanced over at him. "Well, duh. We were pretty heated rivals back then. Not that we aren't now, but… I don't know. I was jealous back then."

“Jealous? What did you have to be jealous of?” He asked her seriously.

"You were just… strong and popular and, I don't know. I was the quiet girl who had to hide her daggers to go to school. You know how hard changing for gym was?" She laughed.

“See that is where you are wrong.” He said turning to her, but still walking. “It wasn’t popularity. It was sympathy. After my parents had disappeared, everyone tried to console me.” He frowned before looking back at her. “I hated it. Honestly, I was more jealous of you.” He sighed.

She sighed. "You? Jealous of me?" It almost didn't sound like a question. "You know that I didn't have friends for two years because I was good at chemistry and learned all about poisons and herbal remedies, right?"

“Yeah.” He deadpanned. “You had parents who loved you. Mine disappeared when I was seven. I was raised by a bunch of guys who half of the time ignored me and the other half trained me ‘til I couldn't walk. I would have given anything to have a normal childhood like yours.” He responded, looking at her a little longer than normal before turning and continuing to walk. “Sorry… It’s been a long day.” He sighed.

"You're fine, but I didn't have a normal childhood, Cedric." She told him. "The remedies, the poisons. Someone doesn't learn how to use daggers like I do on their own or by accident. My Dad could be a fucking drill sergeant, and my mom would make me identify herbs and whatnot by sight, touch, smell, and even taste. I don't think anything about our lives has ever been normal."

He let out a sigh. “True, but I still would have liked to have someone to, at least, hug me when i was scared at night.” He stared off into the distance as he spoke. “They might have trained you to do all that, but they did love you. Probably still do.” He said continuing to walk.

"Your parents loved you, Astero. I remember." She told him, grabbing his shoulder. "I don't know why they were taken, but… I remember them. You. Together."

“I’m glad someone does. I barely remember them myself.” He sighed. He turned to look at her and placed his hand on hers. “Thanks.”

"You're welcome." She told him. "I swear to you that I'll stab you if you ever repeat this, but you're kinda like a brother to me. Thanks for always being there… and letting me stab you in training."

“Thanks for letting me stab you back.” He chuckled back at her. “Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.” He smiled at her.

She brandished a knife at this throat. "It better be." She threatened.

He sighed and summoned his greatsword from his back, making the tip of it rest against her throat. “First of all, yeah, it is. Secondly, you could just kill me in my sleep. No matter which way I look at this, you would still get me no matter what.” He said sheathing his sword again.

"You still kick my ass more often than not in spars, so I don't know why you sound worried." She told him simply.

“Because, now, you have magic at your disposal. That completely changed everything.” He told her simply. “The second you add magic into the mix everything gets more intense.”

She put away her dagger. "I don't know how to use that yet. It's been a day."

“You will in time.” He replied back reamfirmativy. “Beside you have a pretty good teacher at your disposal.” He grinned.

"Who could that be? I only see an asshole." She laughed.

“He is standing next to the bitch he has known for far too long.” He laughed back.

She smiled. "Let's get going faster. We need to find a cave, and I don't see any hills for at least a few more miles."

“Then, let's hustle. I really don’t want to be caught out here in the snow.” He replied, speeding up his pace.

"Neither do I." She said. "That feeling of being followed gave me the heeby jeebies."

He nodded. “Yeah, really don't want to feel that.” He responded.

"And, I don't want to feel watched while I'm sleeping." She told him. "That sounds terrifying."

“I think it would be best if we try not to think about it.” He said honestly, glancing over at her.

She nodded. "I think that I'll feel better once I know what it is. It's all probably connected. Right?"

“Is it bad if I don't want it to be?” He asked her back.

"I mean… I guess not, but it's just too much to be a coincidence." She suggested.

“I know, but I guess I’m kind of hoping that we shouldn’t have to worry about the entire country as a whole versus just the people.” He replied back. “That would mean there is something huge going on here, and we, maybe even the world, don’t… doesn’t,” He sighed in frustration. Sometimes grammar was just too hard. “Know about it.” He shuddered, thinking about what one of the elders told him earlier.

She started walking faster almost overtaking him. "Yeah, fuck this. Not thinking about it. Snowshoe rabbits. Polar bears. Arctic foxes. Fluffy animals. Okay. Happy place achieved."

He shook his head more and just focused on getting to a safe place to stay for the night. He looked off into the distance, and saw a few smaller outcroppings. “Well, we are getting closer to something that is livable.” He said starting to feel a little bit relieved.

"Yeah, not much further, but we still want to stay away from the first couple caves we find. Those will be searched for sure." She offered her opinion.

“Definitely, and we will want to make sure that we make sure we leave absolutely nothing behind when we leave, make it look like we were never there.” He added, nodding in agreement.

"That's my area of expertise." She told him.

“Good. We can’t let them know where we went or where we are going.” He replied, eyes still focused on the horizon.

She nodded, too focused for words as she was on hyper alert. Her eyes searched behind them and in front of them, looking for anything that could mean danger or sanctuary.

The two continued to silently walk for the better part of an hour. They came across a few areas that would be suitable, but knew they would need to keep going a bit farther. Eventually, they found an area that was decently covered and somewhat protected. It wasn’t as good as some of the other areas, but they didn’t want to make any potential trail too obvious. They let themselves relax slightly as they sat down before getting ready to make camp for the night. Tents were pitched, and a small fire was started.

Magdiana shivered with cold, huddling near the fire for warmth. She ate more of her rations, and quietly eyed the area, planning where she would need to watch for potential intruders. She wished that she was better with or even had a weapon with further range. Hells, she wished that she had more daggers on her. She could fit a few more. She didn't feel armed enough at the moment, and felt- and probably looked- liable to stab anything that startled her.

Astero was sharpening his greatsword as he surveyed the area. This really wasn’t the best place, but it was what would best in the grand scheme of things. Once he was done, he looked over at Magidiana, and saw her head was moving around on a swivel. “Hey, I know you’re nervous, but being that wound up is only going to make matters worse,” He reminded her calmly. “We need to keep a level head.”

She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, letting the quiet peaceful sounds of the crackling fire calm her. She didn't see it, but a small bluish glow washed over the area as she tried to calm down. When she opened her eyes, the light was gone, and she looked over at Astero, looking a bit refreshed. "Better?" She asked.

Astero blinked several times as he simply looked at her and the surrounding area. “Uh, yeah.” He did a quick check for magic, and could sense some around that wasn’t there a few moments ago. “Good job.”

"Good job? What?" She asked in confusion. She hadn't done anything. Had she?

“Well, when you relaxed just now you let out a blue energy, and I am pretty sure you might have given us a slight warding.” He said honestly, impressed by what she’d done.

She frowned. "I have no idea what I did. I was just trying to calm down." She answered honestly. Her face fell into her palms and she mumbled. "Of all the times to randomly acquire magic, it had to be the day before running away from everything we know."

“Honestly, it’s a good thing. You might not understand it now, but you will in time. We will figure this all out as a team; besides, we have some serious questions that need to be answered.” He told her, pulling out his file and starting to go through it. “There are answers here. We just need to find them.”

"I'm still concerned about how they know some of the things in there." She mumbled. "If my parents are in on it, then I can see how they know about… some stuff. But, there are things that were just me or me and one other person, and… I'm pretty sure that they weren't advertising the information either." She blushed through the whole speech as she opened her file to learn as much as she could.

“I get it. There are things in here I have told to only one or two people at most, and, yet, it is here pretty much verbatim. I know the elders raised me, but, even then, this is a lot of information for just two people.” He said rummaging through the file.

Magdiana shuffled through her file, and accidentally loosened her grip on it. Out of the papers fell a small pouch. Curious, she opened it to find a small tooth and a lock of hair. She winced. "Ugh. Yeah, they've been spying on us too." She said, dumping the contents into the fire.

“Well, not anymore.” He replied dumping some hair and nail clipping into the fire as well. He sat back and went through the papers some more, trying to look for clues. “Have you found anything yet?”

"Names. Not mine." She shrugged. Mostly people from town." She mumbled before she pulled out another piece of paper and started to read it over. Her frown deepened. "Fuck." She said quietly.

“What?” He asked her looking at her expression.

"Found out why I still have my parents." She whispered, handing him a paper with detailed information on two half elves from Asesh. One with brown hair and one with blonde. Both were members of the country's military and god fearing people. A cleric and paladin. "My parents aren't from here. I wasn't raised by my real parents."

He was taken aback. “I'm sorry.” He said quietly, handing her back the paper. He sat quietly for a moment, before he realized something. “Does it say what gods they worshipped?” He asked her with an idea.

"Corellon." She said simply. "And one I've never heard of."

“What is the name?” He asked her.

She frowned. "The mask? Is that even a god?" She asked, feeling a little bit like a heretic. Everything in these papers had been correct. Why would this be wrong?

He nodded at her, giving her a small smile in the process. “Yeah, known as the lord of shadows. He is a god of thieves and trickery. Perfect for you, if you ask me.” He chuckled.

She laughed. "Of course." She wiped some stray tears from her eyes. "Well, I'd be willing to bet that whatever's going on with me has something to do with one of them."

“I would bet against it, but, with how everything has gone in the last ten hours, I think I will just pass.” He replied sitting back and just randomly flipping through the pages.

"Any more juicy nuggets in yours?" She asked conversationally as she flipped through the last pages of her paperwork."

“Lots of personal stuff that you probably don't want to know about, habits, spending habits. Probably the same stuff as what you have in yours. The only real thing I see is that some of my papers have an official seal on them.” He said handing her a paper with a blue seal of a skull with a crown on top of it.

She looked at the seal. "None of my stuff has that on it, and, yeah, all of that was in mine too. Right down to dates and times of important life events that I don't even want to imagine how they figured out."

“Yeah, same. The only difference with mine is there is nothing about what happened to my parents in here. It just says ‘offered’. What does that even mean?” He grumbled, voice filled with annoyance.

She grabbed his wrist comfortingly. "I don't know, but we'll figure it out… You don't fancy a trip to Asesh do you?" She asked a little anxiously. Maybe her parents… the real ones… would know something.

“I could use a change of scenery and warmer climates.” He smiled back at her.

"I'd love to see a real beach." She smiled. "A tan would make us look different too."

He nodded, and looked back. “Yeah, all we need to do is get a ride on a ship and probably learn to swim while we are at it.” He sighed heavily before looking back down into the fire.

She winced. "Yeah. Kinda hard to learn how to do that up here."

“Fucking winter three seasons out of the year.” Astero grumbled.

"And spring is six weeks long if you're lucky." She laughed. "Trust me. I know. Where do you think I grew all the herbs for my remedies? Greenhouses."

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” He chuckled back. “It will be nice seeing something new.” He smiled, turning to see the sunset behind some clouds.

She pulled her mind away from Evermore to their current situation. "How do you want to do watches?" She asked quietly.

Astero looked back at her. “I will take the first watch.” He offered kindly. “I'm used to being up half the night anyways.”

"Alright." She nodded, digging through her herbalists supplies and finding her shears. "Here's for your hair." She zipped up her bag, and hefted it into her tent. "Stay warm." She offered as she started to zip it shut. "Goodnight."

“Thanks. Try not to stab me if I look too different when I wake you.” He chuckled. “Night.”

She chuckled. "I make no promises. I'm not removing them from my person for the foreseeable future. And, I might even try to acquire a few more."

“Figures as much.” He chuckled back. “Sleep well.” He said, keeping an eye out on the horizon.

She got into her bedroll, and laid down with a large blanket pulled over her. She knew that sleep would likely be scarce for awhile, but her mind was just so busy. She closed her eyes and just breathed. Maybe, if she could just slow down for a little while, sleep would take her. And, awhile later, it finally did.

Astero kept watch for several hours. He would get up and make the occasional circle around the camp before sitting back down next to the warm fire. About halfway through the night, he pulled out the sheers and carefully began to cut his hair, using a small bowl and water as a mirror. He burned the hair as he chopped it off, and felt good with how it came out. His eyes were constantly on the horizon, always searching for whatever Magdiana said was following her. He didn’t see anything except for the occasional small animal. It was a welcome relief, which gave him some hope for the near future. When a good portion of the defenders had done their duty for the night, he moved over to her tent and gave a few knocks to wake her for her shift before he would go and get some sleep himself.

She sat upright in one swift motion. It took her a moment to realize where she was and who she was with. She sighed. "I'm up." She bundled up, and exited her tent. "Thanks." She said, looking up at the sky. "You let me sleep too long."

“It’s fine. I'm going to get some sleep now.” He said, turning and climbing into his own tent.

"Night." She yawned as she looked over the horizon. It was calm with a little snow falling just outside of the cave. The blanket of snow almost made it stiflingly quiet, and she watched the sun rise and the animals with it until several hours had passed. She checked on Astero, waking him up firmly so as not to scare him.

He awoke quickly. The many years of training made him used to it. “I’m awake. We can leave in about five minutes.” He told her, quickly getting himself ready, and his things together.

Magdiana started to knock down her tent. When she was finished, she grabbed some rations and waited at the cave entrance. "Sleep well?"

Astero nodded at her. “Yeah pretty well. You ready to go?” he asked shouldering his bag, and took a bite out of his rations.

"Yeah, I'm ready to put some ground between us and Evermore." She responded. "And, learning more about this magic woowoo stuff."

“Good. The more you know about your powers the better.” He replied with a nod. “Now, let's get a move on.” He said beginning to move in the direction they were headed yesterday.

She ate a bit of her rations. "Yeah, I guess I'll, like, pray or something. Maybe, that will make a difference with the woojee woojee."

“I am going to leave that up to you. I don’t really believe in a god. I was just trained on information about them, so you are going to be the expert on that.” He sighed a bit to her, but he had a smile on his face.

"Ah, yes, an expert who has no idea what they're doing… I don't know. My parents, I guess, were a cleric and a paladin, so, I guess, that's how it works." She shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that's not how it works for you."

“Let’s be honest here. Neither one of us have a clue what we are doing right now.” He replied to her. “And, no, it took me years to learn spells- at least two just to learn firebolt.” He said, making his fingers spark with arcane magic.

"Huh." She hummed, wiggling her fingers and trying to do the same. Nothing happened. "I'll figure it out. If you don't mind, I'll kinda goof around with it today."

“I don’t care. But, if we run across someone, well, you know to keep it under wraps.” He said with a small chuckle.

She smiled. "Of course, I will. I don't want to get caught."

“Well, of course.” He replied back. “When we get out of the country, you can go mental.”

"I will not be going mental." She chuckled. "But, I might drive you mental."

He scoffed at her. “If I know you like I know I do, the second you get your first cantrip down, you will be spamming it for well over an hour.” He chuckled loudly.

"So far, I've only done healing and that weird glowy glowy zappy spell." She tried to explain.

“So far. But, you will get control soon enough. And, then, you will be off to the races with spell casting.” He commented as he walked.

She smiled. "Yeah. I'm going to get it down before long. Just like the daggers. Then, our spars will get really competitive."

“In time. For now, just keep practicing your spells.” He said casting Firebolt ahead of them slightly.

She closed her eyes, and attempted to feel the feeling she'd had when she had made that white light in their spar. She waved her hand like she thought she had, but nothing happened. "Huh." This was repeated multiple times before she finally got frustrated and a small sound she made reverberated loudly around them. Her eyes glowed as a breeze picked up around them. A moment later, the effect was gone. "What the fuck?"

Astero turned to her, and gave her a slow clap. “Congratulations. You cast a spell.” He smiled for her.

She looked over at him. "I have no idea how I did it, though, and I'm pretty sure other clerics don't cast using frustration as their underlying feeling beneath it all."

“Look. I trained to cast my spells. You use emotions and feelings. I didn’t make up the rules of magic. If you have a complaint, go talk to Mystra.” He joked at her.

"Very funny." She scoffed, putting a hand on her hip. She remembered the frustrating feeling from a minute before, and repeated the process until she did it again. "Well, that's one of them, I guess."

“You still did it.” He said happy for her, if not a little jealous. “Not even two days ago, you couldn’t do any of that.”

She nodded. "Yeah, it's something. I want to do something with damage and holy light though. You know, big boom."

“Like when I cast Witch Bolt?” He asked her.

"Well, yeah. It would be nice to have a backup in case I run out of daggers." She answered. "Not that I really run out of daggers."

“Maybe we can find you a dagger that can come back to you.” He replied, thinking about the idea. “Less daggers, and, also, it would probably be an upgrade for you.”

"Yes." She smiled at the thought. "Wait. Even better… belt of hidden knives."

“You just really like sharp and pointy things… don't you?” He said with a raised eyebrow at her.

Magdiana looked at him with a deadpan expression. She pulled out the nearest dagger on her person. "Yes." She gestured it all around. "I like that I can use this to fight, eat, and make traps, if necessary. They're very versatile. And, your expression right now is the best part. Knives don't kill people. People kill people."

“I’m fully aware that people kill people. I have killed people.” He deadpanned staring directly at her as he did so. “And, for me, it doesn’t matter what is given to me. Sword, dagger, bow, hells even a fork. I can kill with something as simple as that. So, please, calm yourself.” He said standing up straight, and continuing to move on their path.

"Oh, this is calm." She smirked. "If we weren't running for our lives, I'd totally want to fight you again."

“We don’t have the time, and, in all honesty, not in the mood right now.” He said still walking the same direction.

She eyed him. "Yeah, I can sort of tell. Just like I could tell the other day that you didn't want to deal with our usual banter. Shame, really. Speaking of which… I'm not driving you crazy yet, am I?"

“Not yet, but don’t push your luck.” He replied a bit darkly.

She waved a hand. "No problem. I'll just keep practicing."

Astero nodded and continued to keep walking, listening to her practice as they walked. He did find this whole situation rather annoying. They were traveling together for common reasons that were more like fate if he was being honest with himself, but he was having a hard time dealing with her for the extended periods that they had been together so far. If they were in Evermore, they would have had a spar every day or so if they were lucky. He never had been within arms reach of her for this long a period of time. All of the years of fighting had really made it difficult for him to be around her.

Magdiana continued to practice her casting to little avail. Eventually, she grew quiet and stopped speaking. She could tell that Astero was trying to be patient, so she didn't want to press her luck. High Sun came and went with little event until later in the afternoon. A group of people appeared on the horizon. She looked to Astero. "We okay to greet them, Cedric?"

He he looked at her and then to the group of people. “Of course, Eri, but I do think we should keep conversation to a minimum. Don’t want to say too much.” He quietly replied to her.

"Of course." She told him tensely. Her fingers brushed the hilt of one of her daggers. She didn't want to have to use them, but she would.

As they silently walked towards the group of people, they could tell rather quickly that it was a small group of traders. The two of them let out a slight sigh of relief, but still stayed vigilant as they walked. Within a few short minutes, the group got closer, and one of the nearby men greeted them. “Hello there! Where are you two headed this time of year?” He asked a little curiously with a kind smile.

Magdiana looked to Astero. She hadn't planned a cover story. Or, at least, nothing was firm in her mind.

Astero looked to Magdiana, and, then, looked to the man. “Well, we are heading to the next town to visit our relatives. Would have taken a cart, but our horse was taken by the weather last winter, so we are making the trip now while the weather isn’t too bad.” He explained.

“The man looked the two over for a moment, and nodded slightly. “I see. Well, try to, at least, stay warm. There is supposed to be a blizzard coming tonight.” He replied.

"Thank you." Magdiana smiled. "We appreciate the news, and we'll find shelter for the night."

“Glad to hear. Have a safe travel you two.” He smiled back, and the cart began to continue its movement in the direction they were headed.

“You as well.” Astero replied back, waving them off as they left. Once the group had disappeared he turned to his companion. “I think they were just normal traders.” He said to her.

She sighed, slouching a bit. "I hope so."

“Yeah.” He sighed in a similar fashion. “Now, let's just get to a place to take shelter for the night.” He determined as he quickened his pace. “I really don’t want to be caught in a blizzard.”

She picked up her pace to keep up with him. "Yes, I agree. I really don't want to end up dug into a snowbank."

“I would much rather die on a beach.” He joked, looking for a place to hunker down, and seeing the clouds starting to become turbulent off in the distance.

"With a stomach full of liquor after having… nevermind." She blushed.

He shook his head at her words. “Have you ever even been drunk before?” He asked her, half expecting an answer, half rhetorically.

"I have had liquor, but I have not been drunk. You?" She asked back.

“Well, yeah. I lived alone, by myself, for many years. I didn’t have much to do for a while.” He replied honestly.

"Figures." She shrugged. "My parents… whatever… didn't like it when I drank, so I just didn't."

“Eh, it’s alright. Pretty sure the only reason you won a few of those spars was because I was hungover.” He grimaced, reminded of the headaches.

"Yeah, and I had my own reasons for losing from time to time." She grimaced.

“I get it. We are adults; shit happens.” He replied, simply looking at her with a grin.

She looked away from him. "Adults, yes. Familiar enough to talk about that not so sure."

“Oh, I know we are nowhere near that, but even I could tell when you were perkier than someone who’d just won the lottery.” He chuckled slightly.

She was bright red now. "Fuck. No wonder they had that in my file."

He shrugged, and continued to walk. “Don’t worry. It's not the end of the world.” He replied back as he had walked a few paces forward.

"Did they have the date and name of the person you lost your virginity to in your paperwork? Because I'm upset." She complained.

“Name yeah, but not the date.” He replied. “Clearly you must have made it obvious.”

"Apparently, I always made it obvious." She face palmed.

“They probably had a more intense eye on you than on me. I was under their watch forever, and they don’t have all of my times.” He replied nonchalantly.

She looked over at him. "Yeah, they basically had the time of… nope… not going there. Sorry. Too much information."

“Don’t be.” He replied quickly. “We might have known each other for almost a decade, but we barely know one another. It makes perfect sense.” He said honestly.

"Well, we're kind of stuck together for the foreseeable future, so I guess that I have to get used to this." She took a breath. "They had the date and time of my first period in there. That's… eww. I feel violated."

Astero closed his eyes, and grimaced. “Okay. Really didn’t need to know that!” He exclaimed. “When I said ‘barely know each other’, that didn’t mean just go saying all the confidential information on our personal files.” He said shaking his head, thoroughly annoyed now.

She sighed, and looked away. "Sorry! It's just… some of the stuff is really driving me insane, and I've only got one person to talk to about it. All future speak of that subject will be kept on a need to know basis."

He sighed, and nodded. “That works for me.” He replied curtly just continuing on silently.

Eventually, she spotted a grouping of trees, pointing to them. "Can't see any hills, but, maybe, we can camp in there? It's secluded, and the brush looks thick."

He looked over to the trees, and looked at the low hanging sun in the sky. “If we work fast enough, we might be able to make some quick reinforcements.” He replied, thinking about the blizzard.

"I have a tarp in my pack, and I think that there's plenty of kindling around for the night." She started making her way faster with a determined look. "This brush is so thick, I don't think we need to do watches for the night."

“Probably not, but I will still be up for a while regardless.” He said, following her now.

She pulled out her tarp and tent they pitched both of them with the tarp over them, battening them down by digging into the snow and using pitons to embed them deeply into the ground. Plenty of kindling was acquired and the pair eventually sat before a roaring fire as the first flakes of snow rolled in on the winds. "It's going to be a rough night." Magdiana shivered as she ate her rations.

“Yeah, I left a window open in a blizzard once, and never did it again. Sleeping in a tent during one is going to suck.” He sighed already dreading the night ahead of him.

She sighed, trying to stay strong. "At least, it should throw off anybody who might be following us."

“For sure. I don’t think that there is a scouting party alive who could track someone through a blizzard.” He chuckled.

"If there is, I'm pretty sure this blizzard has our backs on this one." She smirked.

“Yeah.” He smiled, taking a bite out of some jerky. “Maybe the country wants us to leave.” He pondered aloud, seeing the storm picking up in the distance.

She felt crazy for even thinking what she was about to say. "Maybe, my god, gods… whatever… wants us to get out."

“I don’t pray much- or at all for that matter, but I am praying that, that is true.” He replied, looking up at her from the fire.”

"Me too." She murmured quietly, climbing into her tent. "Stay warm."

“Will do. You too” He responded simply watching the fire.

She closed up her tent, and tried to rest. The whipping of the wind kept her from sleeping deeply, but rest did find her until, at least, the early hours of the morning. She was shivering all over despite being fully clothed in her bedroll under a blanket in her tent. After several minutes of indecision, she grabbed her things, and carefully extricated herself from the tent. She added more kindling to the fire, taking a moment to be sure it lit properly before even more carefully opening Astero's tent. Near instantly, there was a blade at her throat. "As… it's me. I'm freezing. Sorry."

His eyes narrowed on her, and he lowered his blade. “Then, why in the nine hells did you open up my tent?” He asked her curiously.

She closed the tent, throwing her bedroll next to his and tossing her wool blanket over the both of them. "I can't warm up. I'm not stubborn enough to die of hypothermia."

He sighed, and laid back down. “Fine. Just be quiet.” He grumbled, turning his back to her and pulling the blanket over himself a bit more.

"Thank you." She whispered to him as she curled up again to sleep. She laid down quietly, shivering uncontrollably. It just wouldn't stop. Her eyes closed, and she tried to pray. Maybe, whoever her god was would listen. The convulsions didn't stop, but she stayed quiet like he'd asked. She was already putting him out enough. She would be fine. A few minutes later, Astero rolled over in his sleep and wrapped an arm around her. She pondered waking him up, but he was just… so warm. She reveled in the heat, and, eventually, was able to fall asleep again. When she slept, she dreamt of a group of elves at a revel. All of them wearing masks.

Astero awoke with a bit of a start. There was hair in his mouth, and he was coughing. He quickly sat up, and looked appraisingly at Magdiana. It was a very surreal experience, waking up to her so close to him. He shook his head awake, got his things together, and left the tent to let her get some sleep. He added some more wood to the fire, and sat down, eating some rations while he waited for her to awaken.

Magdiana eventually awoke feeling cold again. She was disoriented. This wasn't her tent. It took a few moments for her to remember what had happened. "Thank you." She muttered to whatever deity seemed to be listening. With that, she collected herself, and exited the tent. She glanced towards Astero eating beside the campfire and blushed. "Good morning, and thanks for not killing me last night."

He turned to look at her. “Your welcome, but, next time, just ask before you come in. It’ll save us a bunch of hassle.” He warned sensibly, handing her some jerky.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I wasn't even thinking. I was just cold. I'm still cold."

“Just think next time, and, please, don’t make that a habit. It was weird waking up next to you.” He grimaced slightly.

She smirked. "What? Did you think we'd done something?" Her eyebrows waggled. "And, no, I didn't plan on it. I like our relationship as it is."

“No, I would have remembered it.” He sighed in exhasperation, shaking his head at her expression. “Just wasn’t expecting it was all.” He sighed again, leveling a gaze back at her. “And, good. Now, let's get ready to leave.” He announced, standing up and beginning to break down his tent for their journey.

She followed suit, and broke down her tent. Once she was finished, she found him waiting for her. They put out the fire, and started their march South once more. "Maybe, we'll get there by the end of the day?" She suggested.

“I'm hoping. The sooner we get out of here, the better.” He replied just before something on one of the nearby trees caught his eye. He moved over to investigate, and found a scroll stabbed into the tree with a dagger. He looked to Magdiana, and, then, opened the scroll. It was short, but the message was simple.

“Keep moving. They are close behind you.” He read aloud. The note was written in elegant calligraphy clearly done by somebody who had honed the craft for quite some time. It was sealed with blue wax, and the stamp had the symbol of the skull wearing a crown that they’d seen on Astero’s file paperwork.

Magdiana looked to Astero. She started to walk swiftly, desperate to get the hell out of whatever situation they’d found themselves in. "What the fuck," was all she said.

Astero took the note, and began to quickly walk South. His mind was racing, but he was not going to question the note. He was in agreement with Magdiana; he wanted out of this country two days ago.

"Isn't that the seal of the people that did this to us? Why would one of them want us to get out?" She asked with confusion evident on her face. She'd been taught to question things like this, but this entire situation was nothing but questions with no answers in sight.

He nodded, and shook his head in rapid succession. “Yes, and I don’t know.” He replied in aggravation, pressing forward just wanting to be on a boat and leaving.

"How are we doing the boat thing?" She asked several minutes later. "I don't think I have enough coin on me for passage, and stowing away is…" She winced.

Astero turned to her. “I don't know!” He yelled, clearly distraught about their circumstances. “I have no fucking clue what is going on. I don’t know how we are getting to a different country. Hells, I don’t even know if I am dreaming or not right now with how crazy this all seems.” He nearly yelled rapidfire without so much as taking a breath.

Magdiana reached out and grabbed his forearm. She breathed, and willed him to do the same. "Calm down." She ordered. "We've got this. We'll figure it out. We've got something they don't have."

“I know. I'm trying.” He sighed, carefully breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth- his breaths visible in the air. “What's that?” He asked her quietly, feeling the breathing exercises working their magic.

"Besides our good looks, they taught us how to fight. That means, we know how to beat them." She soothed.

He let out a sigh. “Thanks…” He smiled at her. “No,w let’s get moving before whoever ‘they’ are catch up.” Astero turned, and started walking again with determination apparent on his features.

"No casting today. Just walking." She told him in a stalwart manner. They needed to get to town sooner rather than later. She breathed just trying to remain calm for both of their sakes. For one thing, she didn't want to accidentally add casting random spells to their list of worries. For another, starting an argument or getting frustrated with one another right about now would be a recipe for disaster.

They continued for a few hours in silence. All the while, Astero was thinking nonstop about how to get on a ship. He thought about selling his sword. It would get them some coin, at least. He sighed, trying to come up with a solution. “We can’t stay in this town for very long, probably a day at most if we’re lucky, so how are we going to get to Asesh?” He asked Magdiana, trying to problem solve out loud. Two heads would always be better than one in this case.

Magdiana looked at him seriously. "We might have to do something a bit questionable to get the coin we need."

“Are you suggesting we rob a guy?” He asked her seriously.

"No. I'm suggesting we hustle people in a bar for money." She offered.

Astero raised an eyebrow, and he smiled a bit. “I think I might know exactly how.” He drew his dagger, and held it out in front of her. “Try and take it from my hand.” It would’ve seemed like an acutal winnable challenge if not for the victorious grin already plastered all over his face.

She continued to walk, waiting for a moment where it seemed like he wasn't paying attention, and tried to swipe it from him. Her hands were quick, and she was sure she had it… until she didn't. “What in the hells?” She frowned as frustration washed over her.

He tossed the dagger into the air a few times, and looked back at her. “One of the neat perks about having bound weapons is the fact that no one can take them from me unless they knock me out first.” He explained with a serious expression.

"Well, hells, I was going to suggest throwing games, playing it up like I was bad at them, and then making a bet after a 'good' game." She rambled.

“We could feasibly do both.” He added.

"We might have to." She cringed. "I can only guess at what ship passage costs."

“I did think of selling my greatsword, and, then, just summoning it back to me when we were on the ship.” He chuckled.

She shook her head. "Please, no. Idiots in a bar is one thing, but taking money from a merchant just feels wrong."

“I'm just throwing out ideas at the moment. Because money isn’t just going to fall from the sky.” He jokingly sighed.

"I know, and, if it's that bad… we'll do it, but not the first option." She grumbled.

He nodded. “Yeah. We will go with your idea first. I have a feeling that people might catch on to my thing faster.” He sighed slightly.

She smirked. "I almost feel bad for the idiots that fall for it already."

“With your skills, it will be like stealing candy from a baby.” He teased.

"I've actually been practicing some new stuff, but I'll have to see what I can do with daggers and magic soon. I'm not sure what clerics do, but, maybe, I've got something zappy to hit a dagger with." She rubbed her hands together in excitement.

He raised an eyebrow at her equal parts curious and concerned about her idea of fun. “You just like hurting people, don't you?” He inquired with only a tiny bit of ill-hidden nervousness in his voice.

"I don't like hurting people." She responded. "It's part of why I got good with herbal remedies, but, if I have to hurt people, I might as well do it as quickly and decisively as possible."

He thought about it for a moment, and nodded. “Seems reasonable. That face just made you look a little crazy.” He told her honestly.

"Oh, the 'I'm about to do something creative and potentially sadistic face'?" She asked semi-innocently.

“Yeah… that one” He said in a voice that trailed off into nothing.

"Yeah, Dad hated that one." She waved him off. "It's fine... most of the time."

“Not really helping your case here.” He replied, looking at her and feeling worried for all the guys she had dated in the past.

She looked at him and sighed. "Dude, it's not like I killed anybody. I haven't even severely maimed anybody. The last time I made this face, I broke into a girl's house and put itching powder in her bra for stealing my boyfriend."

Astero was shocked, but, at the same time, it sound reasonable. “Okay. Well, good for you, then.” He sighed.

"Too much information?" She asked seriously.

“No. Actually, I kinda expected it.” He replied honestly. “Was referring to the not killing someone.”

"I got close once, but couldn't deal the blow." She told him honestly.

He looked at her at her seriously. “Killing someone is easy. Living with it is something different entirely.” He said from experience.

"Yeah." She whispered. "I talk big game with the daggers, but… I don't know… I think it'll take a life or death situation to actually make me go through with it."

“Let's hope for your sake you don’t. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” He told her honestly.

She looked at him with a level gaze. "Would you take it back? If you could?"

He pondered it for a moment, but shook his head. “No, if I didn't do it, we wouldn’t be talking right now.”

"Then, that's all that matters." She responded.

“You’re not wrong, but not right either.” He replied back.

She looked confused. "How so?"

“If I hadn't done it, I would be dead. But, I did, so I still see his face the exact second he died.” He sighed hollowly. He didn’t really want to talk about it, but there wasn’t really anything else to do.

She blinked. "The fact that you're guilty about it is a good thing." She tried to say. She sounded more emotional than she wanted. "I'm sorry."

“It’s fine. I do feel guilty, but I would do it again if I had to, to survive.” He simply stated. “It’s an odd double edged sword.” He added, looking back at her.

Magdiana nodded. She grew quiet, just thinking. She knew from the strange note that they were being closely followed, but exactly how close was yet to be seen. Ahead of them, she could see the smoke of chimney fires in the distance, but the settlement hadn't become clear on the horizon yet.

Astero saw the smoke, and felt a new wave of energy come over him. “Thank the heavens. We’re almost there.” He sighed in relief.

"Yes!" She exclaimed in excitement, walking faster. "I want a real meal."

“Don’t remind me. Also, a nice warm bath.” He enthused quickening his pace.

"And, to dye my hair." She looked at her dark brown locks, and imagined them lighter. "Ugh."

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.” He replied back to her. “And, soon enough, we will be in a different country where you can grow it all back.” He reassured her.

She nodded. "I don't mind the length. It's the color that bothers me."

“What's wrong with the color?” He asked not seeing a problem.

"I'm so pale that I'm going to look weird blonde." She answered.

“Then, go red, or just a few shades lighter at least. Don’t need to dive into the deep end.” He offered, still a bit lost by the issue. “You will look fine regardless.”

She nodded. "I only have the stuff for very light blonde at the moment. I'll have to deal."

“Can’t you just use less so you are a lighter brown than what you are now?”

"I can try, but hair and pigment is weird. I could try to lighten it and it turns red." She explained.

“Okay. Just do whatever is easier.” He responded gruffly. He was still glad he never had to worry about this kind of stuff.

She shrugged. "Yeah, girl stuff is weird. One of the girls in our class tried to do her hair red and it went green for some reason."

He chuckled, knowing the exact girl she was talking about. “Yeah, I know her.” He grinned.

"Blonde will be fine until I can get more stuff. Bathe my hair in the blood of my enemies." She joked.

“You’re going to need a lot of enemies.” He joked back.

"I think we already do." She deadpanned.

He nodded. “Yeah, and an insane amount of research to do.” He sighed, thinking of his file still weighing heavily in his pack.

"You think Asesh has a big ass library?" She asked him seriously.

“Well, it would be the best place to start. It is the biggest continent after all.” He replied back.

She blushed. "Sorry. My geography is foggy. All I remember is sitting behind Jackson in that class."

He waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. I was kinda forced to have good grades.” He shrugged.

"Too late. Already worried." She quipped.

“Well, shit. I guess we are doomed then.” He sniped back

"This relationship is like all the ingredients to alchemist's fire just sitting on a table waiting to be moved the wrong way." She chuckled.

He hummed it over, thinking about the whole situation. “Well, you're mostly right. All the ingredients are there, but the glasses are cracked, and things have been mixing for a while.” He laughed.

"Ha." She barked. "You're not wrong."

He smiled at her. “I try.”

They were practically at the gates of the city now, and Magdiana looked to Astero. "Well, Cedric, I'd ask you where we're going, but I believe that I'm taking the lead. Yes?"

Astero nodded, and gave her a small bow. “After you, Eri.” He replied, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Magdiana quickly found the residential district, and started her work. Eventually, she found a house that was perfect. Empty. Not even a house cat that she could see. Nicer, but with older fixtures. Easy to lock pick. She walked around the back, and removed her tools from her bag. In seconds, she was in. "Leave everything how we find it." She ordered.

“I know.” He quipped defensively as he started quickly looking around the house and double checking for anyone on the inside.

"You shower. I'll do my hair. If we need to get out, you'll know." She told him.

“Deal.” He nodded, turning and quickly making his way to the bathroom to clean himself up a bit for the first time in their days long journey.

She quickly got to work with adding the chemical to her hair. There was only one slight problem. She didn't want to remove her shirt until she was in the bathroom. With her luck, she'd end up dying it white on accident. Either that, or she'd have to rinse her hair before taking it off. What a waste. She kept thinking this over as Astero showered, eventually jumping a bit when he returned to the living room.

He felt refreshed, and nodded to Magdiana. “Okay, you’re up. I will watch out here.” He replied quickly.

"I hate to ask, but will you help me get this shirt off? Mistakes were made." She tried to explain.

He sighed a bit, and walked over to her. “How can I help?” He asked.

"Help me get it over my head without getting the chemicals on it." She requested. "And, watch out for the dagger behind my back."

He sighed, and quickly rummaged through his bag, pulling out a shirt that he usually used for sparring. “Here. Wrap this around your head; I don't care if gets ruined.” He offered, beginning to carefully move her shirt up, being mindful of the dagger on her back.

Once the shirt was off of her, she quickly thanked him before turning to walk into the bathroom and revealing a dagger in a holster that tightly hugged her chest and waist. Her shower was brief, but much needed. Drying her newly blonde hair was an experience she'd not soon forget. When she walked out of the bathroom, she returned Astero's shirt. "Thank you."

“Don’t worry about it.” He shrugged, waving his hand and magically cleaning it before putting into his bag again.

She quickly made sure that everything was how they'd found it before she looked at Astero seriously. "So, bar?"

“Yeah, miss armed to the teeth.” He replied back.

"I'm telling you, I could fit at least four more daggers on my person." She insisted.

“I don’t even want to know how. I know you have eight, but I can't for the life of me think where you would put the others.” He said a bit shocked

"Ten." She corrected.

He threw his hands up into the air. “I don’t even want to know. Lets just go get the gold.”

She smirked, skipping to the door and opening it for him. "Shall we?"

“Lead the way.” He sighed, seeing her delighted attitude and starting to grow weary with it all.

"Of course. Spotted it on the way in." She smiled as she locked the door behind them. She lead him through the streets towards the bar, and, when they got there, she was pleased to find it to be a bit crowded. Good. More money to go around. She looked to Astero. "Best get drinks to make it look really good." She whispered.

“Any preference? He asked back.

She nodded. "Just not wine."

“Okay. Be back in a bit.” He went to the bar to order a few drinks for her. Within a few minutes, he returned, and set them down next to her. “There you go. Go ham.” He chuckled, leaving to go see if he could earn some coin for himself.

Magdiana sipped on her drink, scoping out the room until she found a man eyeing her. She looked back and winked. Her eyes wandered his body, and she found a knife on his hip. Perfect. A few more minutes of eye fucking, and he finally stood up to greet her. She smiled at him. "Hello, there."

He eyed her, and she fought the urge to vomit. He was only acceptable in the 'I'm going to rob you blind' type of way. She did not actually think that he was attractive in any sense of the word. "Hey, there." She flirted, flipping her hair over her shoulder and eyeing him. Her eyes hovered on the knife. "You any good with that?" She smirked.

"Well, yeah, of course." He grumbled in a macho voice.

She sauntered up closer. "Show me? I like a man who knows his way around a weapon."

He sputtered for a moment before nodding and walking her towards a set of targets against one wall. He took out the dagger, and threw it. It hit on the outer ring. She smiled. This would be easy. "Wow!" She gasped. "Can you show me? Pretty please?"

He nodded, and, with a shrug, returned to the wall to retrieve the dagger. She fought the urge to face palm. The amateur didn't even have two daggers? Idiot. He handed her the dagger and showed her how to hold it. The grip was wrong. She tried not to roll her eyes. So, with that same grip, she 'aimed' and let loose, letting the dagger miss wildly and actually bounce uselessly off the wall.

The man retrieved the dagger, and handed it to her. "It's okay. Just takes practice." He said in what she assumed was supposed to be a soothing voice, taking a swig of ale and showing her the process again. She threw the dagger, and, this time, let it stick just outside of the target. "Better." He commented.

She took a swig of her drink and looked to Astero. He was busy, so he didn't see her roll her eyes. "Do you mind if I try one more time?" She asked, pretending a bit more that the drink was going to her head. She unbuttoned the top of her shirt, and looked at the man. He wouldn't stop eyeing her cleavage now.

The man retrieved the dagger and returned it to her. She looked it over with a discerning eye. He didn't even care for it properly. Another mark against him in her book. She took her stance and ignored his prompting to hold the weapon his way, throwing it into the wall just off of the bullseye. "Oh." She said. "I was so close."

"Yeah," The man gruffly responded. "Yer a natural."

"You think so?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

He nodded. "Uh, yeah."

"Say, would you mind a friendly wager? Just you and I?" She asked playfully. He was eating out of the palm of her hand.

"Wager? I won't take your gold." He said chivalrously.

She laughed. "You're not taking it. You say that I'm a natural. Well, I think that I can beat you. Three throws. The one with the three closest to the target wins."

"Alright. Fine." He said, taking out ten gold coins.

"Make it twenty. I'm feeling lucky." She smiled. He looked at her strangely, but pulled out the coin.

She took out her coin, and put it on the table. "Ready?" She asked him.

He nodded, throwing his dagger and watching as it landed on the wall. It was in the second ring. He borrowed a couple more daggers and threw them with varying levels of success. None of them were in the first ring. He smiled at his work, proud of it. She smiled back and removed three daggers from her person. "My turn?" She asked innocently.

When he nodded, she threw all three daggers in quick succession getting all three in the first ring. One of them was on the bullseye. "Looks like I won." She smiled, scooping up the coin and placing it in her bag.

He looked dumbfounded. "Hey. Wait a minute. Did you just fucking hustle me? You bitch."

"No, like you said, I'm just a natural at this." She smiled, fingering a dagger behind her back.

"You're not leaving with that coin. I was being nice so you didn't feel bad. I can throw better than that. Double or nothing." He growled, gaining the attention of the bar.

Magdiana sighed. "Well, I guess, if you insist." She retrieved her daggers and he his, and she threw first this time. All three daggers were on or next to the bullseye. They couldn't share the space, obviously. She backed away and allowed him to throw. None of his throws were better than before. Magdiana scooped up the extra twenty gold and retrieved her daggers. "A bet's a bet." She smiled, backing away until he lunged at her and tried to grab her. In a flash, she had two daggers pressing against his throat. "Oh, that was stupid wasn't it?" She crooned at him. "Now, you're going to back up, and I'm going to promise that these aren't the poisoned ones. Got it?"

He gulped. "Yeah." It was a whisper.

"Good." She smiled, turning and walking over to Astero's table. A few bar goers stared, but she ignored them, simply returning her daggers to their proper places.

After handing Magdiana her drinks and walking over to a table on the other side of the bar, Astero sat down and looked around for someone to get some coin from. He saw a few men sitting around who looked liked they could fit the bill, but he wasn’t sure which one. He looked back at her, and saw that she had a gentleman basically under her control. He sighed, and took a sip of his own drink. He contemplated on what to do for his ‘scam’. He could try the idea of someone disarming him, but that seemed like it wouldn’t go over too well. He thought about arm wrestling, but decided against it when he noticed a few goliaths in the corner. A sigh left his lips, and he took another sip.

When he looked back up, an older human man was sitting across from him. Astero was visibly confused, and the man noticed this. “Don’t worry, lad. Just sitting down and having a drink.” He smiled, taking a sip of a large glass of ale and revealing a blue skull tattoo with a crown on his forearm.

Astero tensed up, and slowly reached for his dagger.

The man sighed, and waved a hand for him to calm down. “Relax, lad. Not here to hurt ya. If I was, you would already be back in Evermore.” He informed the boy in a hushed whisper.

Astero sighed deeply, and took a sip of his drink. This really was out of his control. He looked back at the grizzled old man. “So, why are you here? If you’re not here to hurt us, and, I’m pretty sure, you're not the one who left the note on the tree. You must be here to make sure we leave?” He asked quietly, looking to Mag and seeing she was busy.

“Ye definitely are the smart one.” The man smiled, looking over in the direction of Magdiana, and, then, back to Astero. “Aye, I’m here to make sure the two o’ ye get out of the country.” He looked around the room, and leaned back comfortably. “As soon as she is done robbing that man, I will set you two up with a ship. Where exactly are the two o’ ye headed?” He asked.

“Honestly? I really don’t want to tell you.” Astero replied honestly, trying to think of some ways gain some information out of the man, but failing. “What possible reason do we have to trust you? So far, everyone we ever knew has been a liar and a sham, and, now, suddenly, a random person we have never met says he is going to help us no questions asked? I don’t buy it.”

“And, ye have every reason not to.” He nodded to the young man. “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” He said simply before taking another sip of his ale. “But, ye are already learning about that… aren’t ya?” He chuckled slightly.

“Yeah, disturbingly so.” Astero glared, taking a sip of his drink. “And, I need to know; why are you helping us? Did someone tell you to or was this planned from the beginning?” He asked, leaning in a bit.

“That is a question best left for when the two of ye are here.” He whispered with a simple gesture to Magdiana. “But, to give ye a simple answer, yes. I was told to come help as best I could.”

“By who? Why are they so determined to help us? And, what do they want with us?” He asked a little louder than he would have liked.

“Calm down. The two of ye will get some of your answers soon enough.” The man soothed quietly, taking another sip of his ale.

Astero let out a long sigh. “Fine. I will wait for her to rob that poor bastard blind. It’s not like he stood a chance to begin with.” He said, leaning on the table and sipping his drink as he waited for Magdiana to finish up.

"Hey." Magdiana said, looking to Astero and his new friend. "Sorry about that. Not very low profile."

“Yeah, you were kinda loud there towards the end. How much did you get?” Astero asked her curiously.

"Forty." She smiled.

“Nice. That should help us with whatever we need to get done.” He sighed, and took a sip of his drink. He turned towards the man sitting across from him, and gestured. “Well, she's here… please explain this plan of yours.”

The man nodded and sat upright, looking the two of them over. “Alright, then. I have already told your companion here everything, so I will give ye the short and skinny of it. I am here to help you get to wherever you are going, and I am guessing ye need passage on a ship. I just need to know where.” He said, looking at the two of them over.

“Oh, wait. There's more!” Astero sarcastically replied. “Please, show her.”

The man gave a look to Astero, and, without breaking eye contact, showed Magdiana the tattoo. “Better?” He asked, looking a little annoyed.

“Much.” The young man replied, sipping his drink.

Magdiana looked at the man with a deadpan expression. "I don't suppose you'll explain that?"

He looked back at the young girl. “To put it simply, it means I can be trusted. Contrary to the look of it.” He replied, taking a sip of his drink before continuing. “The town ye came from, Evermore, as ye might have guessed, is not all that it seems. What they have been doing goes against what we stand for. And, we realized that you two could fix it, but not as ye are now.” He said, looking over the two of them seriously. “Ye need to get stronger first.”

Magdiana looked to Astero. She stared at him, not wanting to speak openly around the man, so she gave him a look that said. 'I'll believe him if you believe him.' It was a sceptical look.

Astero looked back at her, and understood her face. He wanted to trust this guy, but with everything that had happened in the last few days, he needed convincing. He needed something to prove that he could be trusted. “We want to trust you. We really do. Because, right now, you are the only one who has made any bit of sense… but this is still the craziest few days either of us have ever experienced, and we really need you to prove we can trust you.” He replied in a demanding and tired voice.

The man looked over the two and nodded. He thought for a moment before he leaned in and looked at Magdiana. “Your parents are alive. That I can assure ye.” He informed her seriously, and, then, he looked to Astero. “Your parents, on the other hand, are gone, but they still love you. More than you could ever know.” He leaned back, and quickly finished his drink before looking the two of them over confidently. “And, that is also why you two are still alive. There is no way you two will ever be harmed while on this continent.”

Astero looked baffled, but, also, intrigued. “Then, why do you want us to leave?” He asked morbidly.

“Because, the reason ye won’t be harmed, is the same reason why ye will never get stronger.” He said calmly.

“And, what is the reason?” Astero asked again.

The old man sighed, and looked over the two of them. “I cannot tell ye simply because he wouldn’t understand it. Ye are not ready yet.”

Astero looked to Magdiana and then to the old man. “We need something to prove it.”

The man looked to the clock on the wall; he was starting to look slightly worried. He looked back at the two youngins, and looked them dead in the eyes. “Fine. But I need to know where ye are headed first. Otherwise, ye might not make it out in time.” He deadpanned.

"Asesh." Magdiana responded quickly. She rolled her eyes a bit. "I'm sure you can figure out why."

The man looked her over briefly, gave her a small smile, and nodded. “Aye. That is a smart move.” He said, standing up. “Go to the docks, and look for a ship called ‘The Raven’. They will take you there. Just be ready to work.” He informed them before beginning to walk away. “As for the ‘proof’, watch the shoreline as ye leave. That should be more than enough.” He told them, taking his leave.

Astero tried to follow the man, but he disappeared faster than he could see. “The fuck?” He asked, looking and feeling confused.

Magdiana grabbed Astero's shoulder, and dragged him towards the docks. She'd just caught sight of something very bad. "Go. Go. Go. Go." She whispered, starting to run towards the ships off in the distance.

Astero moved and looked at what she was ushering them from; it looked like the guards from Evermore. He turned, and began to move as fast as he could. They dashed through the streets, and were tucking and weaving in attempts to lose their tail. Thankfully for them, night was beginning to fall. Magdiana lead the way sneaking them through an alley until they saw the ships not too far away. They stopped, and looked to see if they could see the ship in question. After a few minutes of searching, Astero saw it. He tapped Magdiana’s shoulder and pointed to it. “There’s our ride.”

She turned her head back, and saw their tail turning the corner onto the docks. "And, there is the party." She grumbled before turning and sprinting towards the ship.

Astero sighed, and followed behind. He was not nearly as fast as she was. She made it to the ship in short order running up the plank. He was almost there when a hand reached his shoulder only to let go instantly. He ran up the plank, and looked back to see the guard lying on the ground with an arrow deeply embedded into his eye socket, which had caused the other guards to stop. He looked at Magdiana, and, then, to a figure next to them. “Uh, hi.”

A tiefling with blue skin stood over Astero, and looked to the guards. “Go back to where you came from, or the next warning shot will turn you to ash.” He warned in a dark voice.

The guards all looked at one another, and, then, to the tiefling. They looked down to their dead companion, and began to drag him away, one of them spitting on the ground as they left the ship.

The tiefling looked to the young adults, and took a half step back. “You two better know how to work, or, so help the sea, you will be at the bottom of it.” He threatened seriously.

Astero stood up, and nodded. “Sir, yes, sir.” He said, saluting the man.

"Yes, sir." Magdiana said in a tone that promised she would work hard, but also said that she had no idea what she was doing.

The tiefling looked them over with an appraising eye before sighing slightly. “Just don’t get yourselves killed.” He said, beginning to walk to the helm of the ship. “Now, go find a bunk and put your things there, and, then, come back up when you are done. I was told you need to see something on our way out.” He instructed, waving them off.

The pair quickly marched downstairs, locating unoccupied bunks and offloading their packs. Several crewmen stared at the odd pair, but none said anything to them that they could hear anyway. Magdiana quickly realized that she was the only woman on the ship, and was very glad to be armed to the teeth. She trusted Astero, but these new men? She shivered as she walked up onto the deck just ahead of Astero. She walked over towards the stern of the ship in order to watch the shoreline… whatever the fuck that meant.

Astero walked up next to her, and leaned in to whisper to her. “I have no idea what’s in store for us.” He spoke as his eyes assessed the shoreline before glancing at the man he could only guess was the captain.

Magdiana glanced between the captain and her long time rival. "Whatever it is, it'll be better than the creepy micromanagers at home."

“Definitely. Soon, we should be somewhere warm.” Astero sighed happily as the ship began to slowly move out of the dock, which had Astero looking slightly confused. “Hey. How many crewmen did you see down there?” He asked, looking at the relatively scarce deck they were on.

"Huh." She hummed. "I counted seven."

“Then, how is the ship moving if they are all down below deck?” He said, turning to the captain and looking curiously at him. The tiefling looked back at them and smiled, before waving a finger to turn around. “Fuck it. I give up. Magicky bullshit.” He sighed, looking at the shoreline.

"Magicky bullshit is my fucking middle name right now." Magdiana's eye twitched in irritation, and she made her eyes glow for good measure just to prove to herself that she could do it again. Her eyes were locked on the shoreline. Waiting.

As the two of them watched the frostbitten beaches of Yutan for what seemed like an eternity, they eventually saw the group of guards following the shoreline on horseback. The guards were moving pretty quickly, locking eyes with the ship and the pair of them. As they watched, the horses began to buck, and began to stop, causing the guards to become confused. The guards tried to get the horses under control, but were failing. The horses began to buck the guards off before sprinting away faster than they had been moving. The guards looked confused, and looked around. In the distance, small blue points of light grew brighter, and were moving at a rapid pace to the guards. As they grew closer, the lights weren't lights at all, they were eyes. Within a few short seconds, a horde of humanoids rushed the small group of guards, and were torn asunder. Once the guards were in small pieces, all the eyes turned and looked at the young pair. None of the humanoids moving or making a sound as the ship slowly sailed off into the distance away from the country.

"Two things." Magdiana mumbled. "One. What. The. Actual. Fuck… Two, I'm glad he's on our side."

Astero’s mouth was agape as he just stared at where the group was and had been. He moved his lips in response after a long moment of silence. “Uh… yeah. Same exact thoughts right now.”

"Can I wake up now? This is just a fever dream. Right?" She pinched herself, but it hurt. This was real.

He extended his arm, and hit her in the arm. “Please, tell me you didn’t feel that.” He asked in shock; his eyes still staring ahead.

"I felt it, and I will fucking stab you if you hit me again." She threatened.

“Yup. This is real.” He sighed, rubbing his temples before he turned and began to walk away. “I’m going to sleep. This is tomorrow me’s problem.” He marched below deck as he spoke.

She rolled her eyes. "Goodnight." She called to him. She was too amped up to sleep so soon. She came to stand at a respectable distance from the helm next to the captain. "Thank you." She whispered.

The captain turned to glance at her. “Don’t thank me yet. You still need to make this worth it all for me.” He replied, looking to the horizon as he spoke.

"I'm not entirely sure what that means exactly." She looked over at him with a look that was as overwhelmed as she felt. "But, I'll try my best." She sighed, pausing for a moment in thought. "If anybody on the ship needs healing, bring them to me. And, at the very least, I can fight." Another pause. "Should I keep my weapons on me when I sleep around here?" She finally asked.

He actually turned to face her this time; he was smiling at her. “If any of those men come near you without your permission. I will keelhaul them myself.” He informed her calmly, but in a serious manner that made him sound deadly. “As for the healing, it is always good to have a healer that will prove useful.” He smiled widely, giving a slight bow as he turned to look back at the horizon. “For now, do try and get some sleep. I know how I felt when I saw ‘that’ the first time too.” He chuckled.

She chuckled a little hollowly. "I just realized it wasn't the first time, so we're good. They followed me home the other night. I just realized now that the feeling was the same."

“Then, consider yourself lucky. It's rare to get an escort like that.” He smiled slyly.

"Any chance you'll tell me more about that?" She eyed him, already knowing the answer.

“In time. You are going to be on this ship for awhile. You will learn a few things while here.” He replied, glancing at her. “But, I am not going to overload you with information on the first night.”

She nodded. "In that case, I'll leave you be." Then, she smirked mischievously. "And, I'm sorry."

“For what exactly?” He asked her curiously.

"The guy that came with me snores." She winked, sauntering off.

He chuckled at that. “Good to know. Thank you for that information, Magdiana.” He smiled, looking to the horizon once again.

Magdiana heard her name and tilted her head curiously. Finally, she shook it off. She hadn't given her name, but that was a question for another day. When her head hit the pillow, even though she was fully armed and clothed, she was out cold.


	3. J'adoube

The early morning of the next day was calm and relatively quiet except for the occasional snores of Astero who was sleeping deeply. A few seconds later, a bucket of water was poured over his head, causing him to gasp and sputter before grabbing his dagger. He looked up to see the Captain and the crew laughing as he looked on curiously. “Well, it looks like your friend was right; you snore like an owlbear.” The Captain chuckled. “Now, get up, and earn your keep.” He ordered, turning and walking above deck. 

Astero stared daggers at Magdiana. “Really?” He asked, standing up and drying himself off.

"Mmm?" She asked as she rolled out of her bunk, and made sure everything was where it belonged. She glanced over at him, and shrugged. "It was the truth." She finally said after a moment of processing the world. Without so much as another word, she walked topside and found a buddy to follow for the day. He was surprisingly accommodating and understanding of her inexperience, and, for what she lacked in know how, she was determined to make up for with enthusiasm. Throughout the day, she would get a glance at Astero, and he was quite literally in the same boat as her. At least, they weren't at each other's throats yet. This, she determined, was a minor miracle in and of itself.

As Astero worked moving crates and supplies below deck, he was rather impressed by the few crewmen that were around. They all made sure he was pulling his own weight, but without him potentially hurting himself. He continued to keep working all the while looking to both the Captain and Magdiana when the opportunity presented itself. He was annoyed by the rude wakeup call, but he was starting to grow more and more curious about the Captain. When he had a brief minute to catch her, he walked up to Magdiana. “So, what's the Captain like? Clearly, you two were talking last night.” 

"Nice." She answered, lowering her voice. "I wanted to make sure I was safe to relax a bit, and… I guess he, like, knows shit."

“That doesn’t surprise me at this point.” He replied just as quietly. “Any idea on what he knows?”

She shrugged. "I realized that the blue eyed things had the same vibe as whatever was following me on the way home the other night, and he said that was lucky. I asked him about it, and he said he didn't want to overwhelm me on the first night."

Astero sighed at her words. “Yeah, I figured the same thing when I saw their eyes. Still not sure how I saw them in my room, but they had the same weird vibe.” He turned to her, glancing at the Captain. “How long before you think he tells us more? Or even his name.”

"I'll let him keep the mysterious vibe for a tenday before I push the subject." She decided.

“Works for me. Honestly, I’m just glad to not be able to see Yutan right now.” He smiled, looking back the way they came. “It’s refreshing.”

"Yeah." She nodded. "It kind of feels… exhilarating."

“Like an actual adventure.” He replied in agreement. He looked to the horizon before turning to go back below deck. “Well, let's make sure we look busy.”

She nudged him. "You're the one who was talking to me."

“You are the only one I know.” He shrugged, disappearing below deck and quickly finding more work to do.

Magdiana rolled her eyes at Astero and got to work. She was the only one he knew because he hadn't introduced himself yet. That wasn't her fault. She struck up a conversation with the sailor who had been showing her the ropes earlier, and, by the end of the day, she wouldn't say they were fast friends, exactly, but they were at least comfortable around each other. His name was Damien, and he was from Initium. Magdiana was currently regretting her lack of memory about her geography class, but, then again, Jackson's hair had been fantastic… and his butt was more fun to study than the maps.

By the day's end, the two of them had worked rather hard. A bell rang, and the ship's cook came out to announce dinner. The crew, Captain included, all went below deck to have some food. Before them, there was a plethora of varied foods ranging from fish to beef. The crew all happily dug in, each one going for a particular dish. Astero sat next to the cook, curious as to why he made such a selection of food. The answer was a rather simple one; different diets and life choices. There was an elf who manned the look out who refused to eat any meat, so he made food just for him. While on the other end, there was a rather burly dwarf who ate primarily meat and protein. Astero nodded. He was impressed by the care that went into the crew’s meals.

After some time, the Captain finished eating. He looked to both Astero and Magdiana before looking to the members of his crew. “So, tell me. How have these two faired for their first day?” He asked a little loudly.

A human man looked to the Captain with a smile. “They did fairly well for greenhorns, sir. They should make it to Asesh without too much issue.” He answered confidently. 

“Good.” The Captain replied before walking up and sitting down across from the two of them. “Now, tell me why you are headed there?” He asked, lacing his fingers together and listening intently.

Magdiana looked to Astero and shrugged, looking back to the Captain. "I guess that my birth parents live there."

The Captain nodded. “That seems like a pretty good reason, and what about you Sir Snores-a-lot.” He grinned at Astero.

He sighed, and looked back at the Captain. “I just want to figure out what is going on.” He said honestly. “This is all really weird.” 

The Captain chuckled at his response. “That it is.” He looked at Magdiana first. “Well, first of all, you will be safe aboard my ship.” He pointed a finger at her then to Astero. “Secondly, my name is Captain Wake. I already know both of your names, so let's, at least, break the ice a bit.” He smiled at the two of them.

"How so?" Magdiana's eyebrow rose.

Wake turned to her. “I want you two to feel at ease. So, please, ask some questions, but do know we will get to ask some back.” He smirked, the crew chuckling in response.

"I don't even know where to start." Magdiana muttered, looking pensive

“How can you move the ship even though there are so few of you?” Astero asked, realising that the whole crew was below deck.

The Captain raised an eyebrow. “That's the first question you ask? Really?” He asked curiously before shrugging. “Okay. Well, I cast a spell on the ship, and, now, I have complete control over it. Can even work the rigging, if need be.” He replied nonchalantly.

Magdiana barely let the answer be finished before asking. "What's the significance of the skull and crown symbol?"

Wake turned to her with a grin. “Now, that's a good question.” He smiled. “That is the symbol of the one who we listen to, The King of the Dead.” He watched her reaction curiously as he said the words.

"The King of the Dead." Magdiana tested the words. "How come I've never heard of him?"

“Because, in all honesty, you don’t want to know. He is a very powerful person who has influence from all over the world, and his reach extends even farther.” He explained without going too deeply into the details. “Trust me when I say this, you have no clue as to what you are dealing with here yet.”

Astero looked at the Captain dumbfounded. “We kinda figured, but why were the town guard after us?”

He turned to look at Astero. “Because they thought that getting rid of you two would help them ruin The King’s plans, and, as you saw last night, it didn’t work.” He chuckled slightly.

“And, what were those things?” Astero asked.

"Are you stupid?" Magdiana asked without thinking. "Rub your brain cells together. He already answered that. They're the dead."

Wake snapped his fingers, and pointed to Magdiana. “Bingo.” He replied to Astero.

"Sorry." Magdiana blushed.

“Don’t be.” Wake replied. “You’re right, and The King has been watching you two for a while. You show some serious potential.” He smiled.

“Why exactly?” He asked the man.

“Well, her parents are a cleric and a paladin who worship two different gods, if I’m not mistaken.” He explained, looking to Magdiana before turning to Astero. “And, your parents have helped The King with his work.” His head tilted a little curiously at the two of them while he waited for their responses and reactions.

“How did they help?” Astero asked nervously. 

Wake bit his lip. “That I cannot say, but you will undoubtedly find out on your own.” He responded calmly and quietly.

“Do you, at least, know how they died?” He asked, wanting some sort of explanation.

“They gave their lives helping and protecting their country.” The Captain answered honestly. Astero looked into the man’s eyes, making sure Wake was telling the truth. When he was positive he was, Astero nodded. He could live with that for now.

"How do you know all this about us?" Magdiana asked quietly.

“I was told, and I was made aware of the things I needed to know. But, most importantly, I've known a bit about you two for a while now, only just recently putting all the pieces together.” He leaned back in his chair, trying to relax a bit as the conversation went on.

"Why would you need to know a little bit about a shitty rogue and another run of the mill Eldritch Knight?" She pondered dumbly.

Wake leaned forward, and took out a piece of paper. On it, he drew a pyramid; at the top was a crown and skull. “Okay. This is The King, and down here at the bottom is all of the people in Yutan. The pyramid is Yutan.” He then drew some lines, dividing the pyramid into five parts. “This section here is where the elders are.” he said pointing to the next box above the people. “This box is where you two are located.” He said pointing to the middle. “And, lastly, myself, my crew, and the associate you met yesterday reside here.” He explained, pointing to the box just below The King. “It’s our job to make sure we know about those who are just below us.”

“Why are we above the elders?” Astero asked, confused by their high rank on the pyramid, compared to the rest of the picture.

“That’s because, the second the elders took you from your family, they broke some serious rules.” He said, looking to Magdiana before turning to Astero. “Your parents helped The King, so he is and, by proxy, we are, in turn, indebted to you. Thus, the rank.” He elaborated as best he could to the pair.

Magdiana just felt more and more confused. "I don't understand why I was taken in the first place. Why would they break rules for me? I’m… not all that special."

Wake let out a long sigh. “Honestly, I am not entirely sure, but, what I do know, is that your parents are like myself and the crew. The way you were taken was very quick and skillfully done. We only found out where you were a few weeks ago, and, when we did, we put a plan into motion as fast as we could.” He spoke softly, looking at Magdiana with apologetic eyes. “We are sorry we didn’t find you sooner, and, the fact that you were right under The King's nose, made it that much worse.”

"Well, it doesn't help that they found a human woman who is a dead ringer for me." Magdiana commented. "I swear to you, I nearly watched myself die the other day when I accidentally healed her. I didn't even think to suspect until I saw the information laid out in front of me… you said that you were going to ask questions back." She hummed in thought, looking at Captain Wake expectantly. 

The Captain nodded, and looked between the two. He sat up, and gave the two a wide, toothy smile. “Hmm. Now, where to begin exactly?” He hummed. “So, why exactly did you two start fighting one another?” He asked.

Astero looked at Magdiana then to the Captain. “I don’t know. We argued a lot as kids, and never really stopped.” He replied honestly.

"I think it was because he annoyed me when I was younger. Now, I guess, it makes us better." Magdiana answered, shrugging to punctuate her sentence.

“So, now, the two of you just like to beat the shit out of each other for fun?” Wake chuckled.

"Yeah." She replied. "That's about the sum of it."

“Well, mutual beatings are better than sudden and random ones.” The tiefling smiled, looking to Astero. “So, tell me young man. Have you ever drank yourself stupid?”

Astero nodded. “Yeah… a few times.” He sighed a bit as he responded.

“Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.” Wake laughed an infectious laugh that made the crew laugh as well. The laughter subsided after a bit, and Wake looked to Magdiana. “Now, for you. How many times have you kissed a guy?” He grinned, and a few crew members seemed to be getting interested now.

"Like I counted." Magdiana deadpanned, taking a sip of her drink nonchalantly.

“Maybe not, but I bet you know their names.” Wake grinned, taking a sip of his drink as well.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. There were maybe a dozen. And, one of them is in this room. We were seven."

Astero turned to look at her. ”Uh, no we didn’t.” He corrected her. “What are you talking about?” Wake sat back, and watched the sudden turn of events with a wide grin on his face.

"You just don't remember." Magdiana waved a hand. "It's not important."

Astero raised an eyebrow at her. “Pretty sure I would have remembered something like that.” He shook his head at her visibly annoyed. 

Wake looked at the two of them, and an odd silence was there for a moment before he turned to Astero. “Now, for you. How many girls have you kissed?” He asked.

Astero turned to Wake with a raised eyebrow. “What even are these questions about?” He asked, getting annoyed now.

“I gave you both very sensitive information. As such, I need sensitive information as payment.” Wake gave the boy a toothy grin. 

“Fine.” Astero scoffed. “Four. One of which was her friend.” He said, pointing a finger at Magdiana.

Magdiana nodded. "I remember. She wouldn't shut up about it."

Wake looked to his crew. “Small town gossip is fun.” He tapped his toes on the floor giddily, buzzing with mirth about how wonderfully this idea was working out. “Okay. Now, for a question for the both of you. What is your biggest fear?” He asked curiously.

"I guess I haven't really thought about it." Magdiana answered honestly. She pondered for a minute before finally saying. "Being left behind or forgotten, I guess."

Wake nodded. “That is a fair reason to be afraid.” He smiled at her, looking to Astero expectantly. 

“Having the people I care about die.” He replied, staring at the floor.

Captain Wake nodded solemnly. “Yes, that is a solid fear. Very tactile.” He said quietly. The room went silent for a moment before Wake stood up. “Well, I think that is enough questions for today. Let's all get some rest.” He said, walking up the stairs.

Astero quickly stood up, and beelined for his bunk, wanting to be done with the day.

Magdiana walked slowly so that she didn't have to look at Astero. When she made it to her bunk, she disarmed herself for the first time in days. She received several stares for the simple act. She looked back at one of the main culprits of the staring. "What?" She asked. "Never seen someone with weapons before?"

“Oh, yeah, I have. Just wasn’t expecting so few of them.” He chuckled.

"I've been saying that I need a few more for awhile now." She smirked.

“Then, I recommend talking to Indigo. He is like a walking armory.” He smiled back, getting his bed ready for the night.

She nodded, climbing into bed. "Will do."

Astero found himself tossing and turning. He gave an odd glance at Magdiana before he turned back around. For some reason, what she’d told Wake earlier had annoyed him. The closest he had ever been to her was in his tent the other night, and, even then, he didn’t care for that. What the fuck did she mean they kissed? They argued when they were six, and hadn’t really stopped since. They had gotten better, but they still got on each others nerves. He sighed, and tried to fall asleep. It would be better to just forget about it. They had more pressing concerns than a little kiss.

When dawn broke, the crew were up and about and going about their duties. Astero wasn’t awoken by water this morning, which he was grateful for. He began to go about the same routine as yesterday, doing most of the same activities he had done the day prior. He saw Magdiana, and gave her a simple nod. He had just pushed the sentence away; it wasn’t worth pursuing to him.

At the end of the day, Magdiana lay down in her bunk, and closed her eyes. Every muscle in her body hurt. She was used to training, but this was a different thing altogether. Without eating dinner, she was fast asleep, even sleeping through the cook trying to wake her to get her to eat. That night, she had dreams that had her whimpering deep into the night.

Astero heard Magdiana’s noises, but chalked it up to a bad dream. However, when he awoke, he heard her still whimpering. He took a step towards her, but was cut off by some crew members waking up rather loudly. He turned, and decided to ask her later when he had the chance to.

Magdiana awoke with a start, grabbing the dagger under her pillow and throwing it at the noise that had startled her more on instinct than anything else. Her eyes opened, clearing to find that the blade had hit its mark. She winced, rolling out of bed and looking apologetically at Captain Wake. "Sorry." She murmured, walking over and grabbing the hilt of the dagger. "I'll heal you. Just have to take this out first. Ready?"

He calmly grabbed her hand that was on the dagger, and pulled the dagger out of his arm. He let out a small grunt, and looked at Magdiana. ”Yeah…” He sighed. “Mental note: don’t wake the rogue.” He grumbled, sitting down on a chair.

"At least, not on nights like that." She muttered, placing a hand over the wound and concentrating on the feeling of healing for a moment. Seconds later, the wound closed. "I don't know what came over me."

“Okay. Don’t try waking the rogue when she has a nightmare.” He corrected himself, rolling his shoulder a few times to see if his arm was feeling better.

"Yeah…" She trailed off, trying to remember the dreams and coming up short. "I'll… get to work." She mumbled, starting to walk out of the room.

Wake called out to her. “I am glad it was me versus one of my crew. Now, I don't know what had you so worked up, but, please, try to be more careful in the future.” He said following her, but going up towards the top of the ship.

"I'll… keep the daggers farther away for awhile." She responded simply. Wake nodded, and continued to go about his business. 

A few hours passed before Astero was able to find time to talk to Magdiana, and, when he did, he approached cautiously. “Hey. Is everything alright?” He asked, looking her over appraisingly. She didn’t look like she was upset about anything.

"Besides throwing a dagger directly into the Captain's shoulder this morning? Fantastic." She answered sarcastically.

“Yeah, I heard.” Astero sighed. He didn’t really want to hear her sarcasm, so he just asked the question on his mind. “But, I meant last night. It sounded like you were crying.” 

"I wish I could answer you, but I don't remember it." She said. "I guess I was."

Astero breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Okay, so long as you are alright. I don’t want you going off the deep end anytime soon.” He replied almost soothingly before walking back to go work.

"Don't worry about me." She chuckled, looking at him walk away. "It's you I'm worried about." She muttered under her breath.

Astero didn’t hear her words, and continued working hard on the ship. Over the course of the day, he began to talk more with the elf who was the look out. He was a rather quiet fellow, but a very smart man when he spoke. By the time dinner arrived, Astero had learned his name was Olo, and the two were chatting about archery by the time the meal was in full swing. When the meal was finished, they parted ways, and Astero went to the deck of the ship to just watch the stars and Defenders to just try and relax. 

After a little while, Wake strode over him, and looked down at the young man. “Comfy, are we?” He chuckled slightly.

Astero jumped a bit and was about to stand up before Wake waved a hand to settle him. Astero sighed happily, and sat back down. “Uh, yeah. It’s getting warmer, so it's nice staying outside to actually look at the stars.” He smiled.

Wake smiled back. “Yeah, you aren't going to believe how hot it can get in Asesh. You will probably need to go buy new clothes. The ones you have will be too thick there.” He chuckled.

Astero chuckled back. “That's fine by me. I am honestly just excited to go and learn how to swim.”

“Wait… you mean to tell me that you are on a ship in the middle of the sea, and you don’t know how to swim?” The Captain asked, baffled by the somewhat suicidal idea of it.

“What? When the water is near always freezing, you tend to stay away from it. I know the basics. I just haven't actually put them to use.” He chuckled at Wake’s expression. “And, also, Mag doesn’t know how to swim either. Just so you know.” He grinned.

Wake sighed, and covered his face. “Why does this not surprise me?” He then raised an eyebrow at Astero briefly. “Also, Mag?”

“Yeah. It’s easier to say than Magdiana all the time. Her name’s kind of a mouthful.” He shrugged.

Wake turned, and began to walk back to the helm of the ship. “Fine. Just don’t be out here all night. Your bunk is way comfier than the deck.” He remarked grabbing the helm, and making sure they were still on course. He left Astero to relax on the deck of the ship.

At the end of the day, Magdiana was exhausted again, but not nearly enough. She actually ate dinner, and, because she skipped multiple meals, ate more than some of the men on the ship rather unapologetically. When the meal was finished, she waited to catch Captain Wake alone. "Hey, is there somewhere I can vent?" She asked feeling and looking frazzled.

He looked to her, and glanced around the deck of the ship. “At night, when just about everyone is asleep would be your best bet. And up here on the deck.” He replied calmly to the young girl.

"Thank you." She responded. If she didn't get a chance to let loose, she was going to end up picking a fight with Astero, and she didn't want to deal with that right now- in the middle of nowhere on a ship. She went downstairs, and relaxed with the crew for a bit, finally giving Astero half of their ill-gotten gold from the bar. "This is yours." She told him.

“Oh!” He replied a bit startled. “Thanks, I actually forgot about that.” He said putting the coin into his own pouch.

She nodded. "No worries. I didn't. You have been on this crazy journey with me too. Might as well get half the hustle money."

He chuckled a bit. “You did most of the work. So far, the only thing I have done is keep you warm.” He sighed.

"We were escaping." She waved him off. "Subtlety is my thing. Putting assholes down with great prejudice is yours."

“True, but I haven't even done that since we left, and, even then, haven’t had the chance.” He looked up at her.

She nodded. "I get that, but, if we're going to something, something 'become stronger away from Yutan', I'm pretty sure we're going to get that opportunity."

He nodded back. “I know, just thought I would have been more helpful so far is all.”

"And, you've been plenty helpful. Do you think either of us would have been able to get out alone? Because I am pretty sure I would've died in the blizzard." She frowned a bit.

He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “No, you wouldn’t have. You are far too stubborn to do that.” He said seriously.

"Oh, I would've tried not to, but I literally couldn't warm up. I would've died, Astero. Thank you." She told him firmly and quietly.

“Don’t worry about it.” he replied quietly. “We are rivals, pretty sure we are the only ones allowed to kill one another.” he chuckled.

She laughed, looking around and seeing that most of the crew was asleep. "Something like that." She stood up from her place. "I'm gonna go vent." She smiled, turning around and slowly starting to walk away. "Goodnight."

“Night.” he smiled back. “Don’t stay up too late. Captain said the deck isn’t as comfy as a bunk.”

"I just need to stab something before I decide to stab a person." She waved. "I'll be down soon."

“Okay, then.” He waved her off, going over to his bunk and relaxing before he went to sleep.

Magdiana greeted Wake before working out. She really just needed an outlet. She wasn't sure what was up after her dreams last night, but she wanted to be in bed last just in case it happened again. And, she especially wanted to be well and truly exhausted. Finally, she felt that she'd reached that point, and she walked over to the Captain. "Thanks."

Wake happily smiled back. “No worries. Hope that helped.”

"Hope so." She mumbled. "Night, Captain."

“Night. Sleep well.” He said still manning the helm as she walked away.

That night, Magdiana slept quietly, but her dreams once again were filled with strange visions that she couldn't or didn't understand. She wasn't sure what they meant, but, the farther she got from Evermore, the stronger they seemed to get. 

Astero was up early in the morning, and he went to go and get in some training before the rest of the crew awoke. He went topside, and began to run a few laps on the deck, before starting to get in some light exercises. When he heard stirring from underneath, he went below deck and began to get to work.

Magdiana awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed. She'd awoken with the rest of the crew, but that wasn't a bad thing. She felt rested. If she could just figure out this whole dream nonsense, she'd be really happy. And, more of the spellcasting bit wouldn't be remiss either. Shouldn't she be able to cast more cantrips? And, there were other spells too. Then again, maybe, she should just wait to meet… her parents. Her mind went over this on a loop while she worked rather mechanically, going through the motions of the day. 

At around midday, Astero saw Magdiana almost aimlessly wandering, she was doing work, but she seemed distant. He walked up to her and gave her a nudge. “Yo, everything alright? Normally you are on top of things. Right now you look lost.” He said honestly.

"Eh?" She asked, not really processing anything. "Yeah, I'm fine."

“Yeah… I can see that.” He sighed seeing her distant response. “You know you have a spider on you. Right?” He grinned and began to walk away.

She looked at herself. "Where?" 

He didn’t say anything, and just continued to walk away.

Magdiana sighed. She didn't see why Astero was suddenly paying so much attention to her. Sure, they knew each other best among the crew, but they weren't really close. Would she do the same for him? Check in on him? She wasn't sure. The day passed, and dinner came quickly. When she'd finished eating, she looked to the Captain. "How long is the trip? I never did ask."

Wake looked up to Magdiana from his plate, and swallowed his food before talking. “We will be there in four more days.” He said honestly

Magdiana tapped her toes quickly on the ground. "D- nevermind." She muttered, standing up, and starting to walk out.

Wake raised an eyebrow at her response. He pointed a finger at her, and cast Message. “If you need to talk, just ask.” She heard in her head.

She sighed, pressed her lips together and responded mentally. "I'm afraid to know the answer."

“To what?” He asked mentally once again.

"Do… my parents…" She struggled through the words. "Know that we're coming?"

Wake stood up, and walked over to Magdiana, leading her up to the deck of the ship. “They were the first ones to know.” He said out loud to her, but still in a quiet voice.

She nodded once, and looked away, hiding her tears poorly. "Okay." Her voice broke.

“You are nervous to see them. Aren’t you?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

"What if… what if I'm not what they expect? And, this whole… healing thing… or whatever… I don't want to ask for help they might not want to give." She wiped away tears with the back of her hand. "I don't like not knowing what to expect."

The Captain chuckled lightly. “Your parents are probably thinking the exact same thing.” He replied honestly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Much like your parents, you just need to have a little faith. That is how all that works, or so I am told.” He chuckled a little.

"Can I ask one more question?" She whispered.

“Ask away.” He replied.

"Do I have siblings?" She asked. She wasn't sure what would be better or worse.

He chuckled a little harder at the question. “Yes, you have a younger brother.”

She nodded, quietly processing for several minutes. "I want to know more, but I don't know how much more I can take."

“Then don’t ask anymore questions. Just know that, in a few days, you will get to meet them.” He said rubbing her shoulder.

"Thank you." She said before yawning hugely. "I'm going to go pass out, now."

“Sleep well, Mag.” Wake said softly, waving her off as she left.

She suddenly reeled around to look at him. "Shit. Is that my real name? Did they name me Magdiana?"

“Yes they did.” He smiled at her. “They weren't that smart when they took you.”

Every muscle in her body relaxed. "Oh, thank fuck."

“Go get some rest.” He said nudging her in the direction of the bunks.

Magdiana trudged downstairs and saw Astero getting ready for bed. She still clearly looked like she'd been crying, and, though, she tried to be strong something about today had just made it harder. She looked at him, feeling like she should say something. Finally, she spoke. "Sorry. I've kinda been stuck in my head."

Astero looked up at her as he laid in his bunk. He waved her off. “You're fine. We have been dealing with a lot in the last few days.”

"I think… I think that I'll be better after I know how this will end up. Right now, it's like… just a big ball of anxiety." She put her face in her hands. 

“Hey.” He said, nudging her a bit. “We will be in Asesh soon. Beaches and sunlight galore. Relax. We are almost there.” He half smiled at her. He had overheard some of her conversation with the Captain, and was a bit shocked by what he heard. “Just a little longer.”

She nodded, climbing into the bunk. She started to get comfortable before she whispered, "You still awake, As?"

“Yeah.” He replied.

"I know what I would've been doing if it were you having the breakdown, and… you're still kinda like my brother… Even if you are an eavesdropping asshole." She mumbled, closing her eyes.

He sighed a bit, and covered his face. “Yeah.” He replied in a guilty tone. He waited several minutes, and, once he was sure that she was asleep, he walked up to the top of the deck. 

“It’s impolite to eavesdrop you know.” Wake said from behind the helm. 

Astero sighed again. “Am I really that bad at it?” He asked, feeling like it was the worst thing ever.

“Astero, I saw you stand up when I stood up. It was bad.” He replied simply, shaking his head a bit in dismay.

“Whatever. It won’t matter much when we get to Asesh anyways.” Astero replied, leaning on the railing of the ship.

Wake raised an eyebrow now. “And, why is that?” He asked curiously.

“When we get to Asesh, we will be splitting up.” he said simply.

Wake shook his head at the boy's words. “Wait, what?” He asked, doing a double take.

“Yeah. She has a family she will want to spend time with, and I will go off to train somewhere.” He reasoned calmly.

“Why?” Wake asked, leaving the helm and taking several steps closer to Astero.

“It’s simple. She will be training in her own way. Her parents are the perfect ones to teach her, after all.” He shrugged.

“And, what about you?” The tiefling asked.

“Like I said, training, and I really don’t want to see her around her family. It will just make me mad, is all.” Astero nodded resolutely, looking at the Captain.

“Are you sure?” Wake asked, making sure the boy had his wits about him. 

“Yeah, don’t see why not.” Astero answered, walking down the stairs to go back to his bunk. “Night, Captain.” He replied, waving the man off.

“Night.” Wake quietly replied, though an air of uncertainty hung over his head as he said the word.

The next few days were a blur of emotion and activity. The pair learned only small tidbits about what was going on with the elders, but nothing that would help them truly understand the magnitude of the situation. All too soon, they were making port outside of a city called Bellmare. It was the type of place that was both quiet and busy. The presence of military in the place was obvious, and few people chose to step on the wrong side of the law. It was the exact type of place Magdiana feared as a small time rogue. The half-elf watched from the deck as the ship moored itself all on its own. It really was a phenomenal feat of magic to be able to do that. 

By the time they had weighed anchor, Magdiana was tapping her toes and wringing her hands nervously. She didn't know what to expect. Would they be here? Would she have to walk to get to their home? Would her brother be with them? She realized that she had no idea what age said younger brother was. This was getting worse by the minute.

Astero looked to Magdiana, and saw her nerves getting the better of her. He sighed, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know you are only making yourself more nervous by thinking about it. Right?” He said rhetorically.

"I'm not sure that I can help it right now, but I'll try." She closed her eyes, breathing a couple of times before opening them. "Better?"

“Do you feel better?” He asked her, looking over her shoulder to see Captain Wake.

"I don't know." She responded dumbly, turning to see the Captain now as well.

“Well, here we are. Welcome to Asesh!” He said with a flourish of his hands. He looked to Astero, and handed him a small pouch of coin. “Here you go. Go down the street there, and get yourself a room in a place called ‘The Rook’. You will be safe there for the time being.” He smiled at Astero.

“Thanks.” He nodded, and began to walk down the street.

“As for you miss,” He said, turning to Magdiana. “I need to introduce you to some people." He smiled. “So, you will be coming with me.” He began to lead her in the opposite direction that Astero was heading. After a little while of walking, they were nearing the outskirts of Bellmare, and, in the distance, there was a small house. Outside, there was a young boy playing in the yard.

Magdiana took in everything. She saw all the color and vibrance around them, looking at the different flowers, and smelling the fragrance. The image of a child playing in the yard made her smile. She only wished that she could do that when she was younger. Yutan was just too frigid to do such things.

As the two of them got closer, the boy looked at the two of them, then, immediately running inside the house. Within a minute, a half-elven couple came almost running out the door. They stopped for a moment, looking at Magdiana before they began to run again towards their long lost daughter. Tears ran from their eyes as the couple ran to her and embraced her tightly.

Magdiana felt tears in her eyes as she was hugged by the rest of half-elves. She hugged each of them back, but she couldn't formulate any words. It was just too unreal. She had felt at home in Yutan. She had parents, but the sudden feeling of wholeness hadn't been something she was expecting. "Uh, hi." She finally mumbled anticlimactically.

The female, chuckled and pulled away, wiping away a few tears from her eyes. “Hello, it has been a very long time since we last saw you.” She smiled, looking over Magdiana with an appraising eye. “The last time we saw you, you were only just a baby.” She sniffled. “I thought we had lost you forever.” She hugged Magdiana tightly again.

The man rubbed the woman's back, and looked to Magdiana. “I know you probably don’t remember us. You were barely a year old when they took you, but we are your parents Magdiana. Your real parents.” He smiled, tears filling his eyes before he turned and waved over the young boy. “And, this is your younger brother.”

“Uh, hi.” The young boy said nervously.

Magdiana laughed, pulling him in for a hug. "Yeah, we're related."

“You probably have a lot of questions.” The woman reasoned, pulling away and looking to Magdiana. “Let’s go inside, and talk.” She smiled.

Magdiana let go of the boy, and straightened up. She turned around to look at the Captain. "Thank you, Wake." She murmured. "I suppose I'll see you again one day."

Wake gave her a small salute, and turned to walk away. “Let's hope not too soon.” He chuckled.

"No, I've had quite enough excitement for awhile." She smiled, turning back to the other half-elves. She took a tentative step forward before she looked between the adults. "I really hope you can help with this magicky woo woo stuff. I'm having the weirdest dreams."

The couple looked between the two of them, and then the female looked at her. “What were the dreams about?” She asked curiously, slowing down a bit to look at her.

"The first one had a group of elves at a masquerade, and they just keep getting weirder." Magdiana explained, trying to remember them all.

She smiled at her now. “The gods do work in mysterious ways, but if you keep seeing a dream over and over again. It is often best to follow it, and see where it takes you.” She calmly replied

“Yes, and, if you wake up and are not in the place you fell asleep in, it might be the gods trying to tell or show you something.” The man smiled, adding to the conversation.

Magdiana nodded once. "I'll keep it in mind, but I'm not sure if I understand it."

“To be honest, we don’t fully understand it.” The man replied, smiling at her and looking at the woman. “But that is how the gods work. One minute you will be walking down a street, and, the next minute, someone will fall on top of you and give you a concussion.” He grinned.

The woman scoffed, and hit his arm. “You will not let that go will you?” She shook her head, and turned to Magdiana. “That's how we met.”

"I could tell." She giggled. "Sounds like I'm pretty lucky that you knocked him over."

“It was the greatest stumble of my life.” She smiled, and gave Magdiana a side hug. “Now, let's get you some food. You must be starving.”

Magdiana shrugged. "Honestly, tea sounds nice. There wasn't any on the ship, and I used up all of my rations of the stuff."

“Then, tea you will have.” She smiled. “What flavor?”

"There's got to be stuff here that we didn't have in Yutan." She smiled. "What's your favorite?"

“Well, considering it is spring, I would say a nice lemon tea.” She smiled at her.

Magdiana nodded. "Sounds good."

They walked into the house, and the man took Magdiana's things, setting them to the side for her. The woman went into the kitchen, and began to make the tea. As Magdiana sat in the living room, the young boy sat next to her, looking at one of the daggers on her person. “Do you know how to use those?” He asked with nervous curiosity.

"Yes." Magdiana answered. "I'm very good with them."

“That's awesome.” He enthused, looking like he'd just won the lottery.

"Maybe," She said a bit nervously, unsure of what her parents would think. "I'll get the chance to show you sometime."

His eyes went wide with awe. “Please? That would be so cool!” He said a bit quietly.

Magdiana eyed her father who was the closest adult, and the parent that she thought was associated with The Mask. If she was going to get a go ahead, it would probably be from him. She hoped. Her eyes met his, and a mischievous smile pulled at his lips. She smiled back, suddenly realizing where she got some of her tendencies from.

Her father gingerly flashed a dagger, and hid it a second later as her mother came into the room with tea. He mouthed a few words to her. “We can play later.” He grinned, silently watching and listening.

Her mother placed the tea in front of her, and gave everyone a cup. Before they all sat down together in the living room. “So… where do you want to begin?” Her mother asked a little nervously.

Magdiana frowned for a minute before she finally settled on something. "I probably should've asked this sooner, but I don't actually know any of your names."

The woman sipped her tea, and chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't even think about that. I'm Eri." She gestured to the younger boy. "This is Jacob, and, finally, this is Marius." She moved her hand towards Magdiana's father. 

"Wow, it's a small world." Magdiana commented. "When we were running away, I used the name Eri as a pseudonym." She paused before speaking again. "I'm glad that I finally get to meet you all." She smiled. "I've been overthinking this in my head since… has it been a tenday?"

Eri placed a hand on her lap. “You get that from me I’m afraid.” She said with a slight frown. “And, at least a tenday by my best guess.” The woman didn't comment on Magdiana's use of her name. The gods worked in mysterious ways, and this was surely one of them. She didn't want to overwhelm her daughter so soon.

"I don't know where to start." Magdiana said honestly. "I feel like you know things already, and I don't want to… bore you or something. I'm just a rogue… cleric… thing? I dunno. And, I'm decent with herbs and… stuff."

Marius leaned over, and put his arm around her. “Don’t worry. There is plenty of time to figure it all out. You don’t need to rush into anything. You can take your time with this. Gods only know, you deserve it with everything you have been through.” He soothed.

Magdiana looked at him, and, then, her mother. "I think it's kind of chosen me. I was able to heal people multiple times now, and I can cast a cantrip; but, I'm not sure which one it is."

Her mother smiled, and looked to her. “I will go over spells and cantrips with you, including healing spells.” she smiled. 

“And, I will show you a few offensive ones.” Her father added.

"I did something offensive on accident. It was bright white and glowing. Maybe it was a cantrip? I'm not really sure." She said honestly. "I kind of miss just being a rogue. It was much less confusing."

Her parents looked at each for a moment, and, then, her father replied back. “I think that was Scared Flame.” He said with some confidence, but wasn’t fully sure. “That is a pretty good cantrip to have.” He smiled at her.

"Also, I have no idea what god this is." She wavered. "I'm not exactly… brand loyal, and, sometimes, I just listen to a feeling. There hasn't been any definitive moment."

“Well, the masked elfs sound like The Mask.” Marius replied, with a small smile. 

A small sigh escaped Eri’s lips. “Just listen to that feeling, and you will find out in time.” She said in a calm motherly tone. “Some clerics and paladins have gone their whole lives without knowing who their god was, but, so long as you have faith in that feeling, they will be there for you.” She smiled at Magdiana, rubbing her cheek a little bit.

Magdiana closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of love she was receiving. Her other 'parents', she thought, had loved her, but this was different. They barely knew her, and they were acting like so much more than she was used to. This was unconditional. She nodded, taking in everything she'd learned so far, and, finally settling on her next question. She asked it so quietly she wasn't sure if either of them had heard. "Why do I have a file of everything there is to know about me in my pack?"

Eri nodded, and stood up. “Jacob, will you come with me to the store so we can make your sister some dinner?” She said enthusiastically.

Jacob smiled, and stood up. “Yeah! Let's go get her something nice.” He smiled at Magdiana before his mother lead him to the door and the two left.

Marius waited a moment for the two to be gone before he looked to his daughter. “As I am sure you already know, there is a group of people who help The King of the Dead. Your mother and I are part of that group.” He paused with a sigh, thinking about his words. “Just like there is a file on you, there is one on Eri and myself. As for what's in your file, I am not entirely sure. Each one is different. Also, your file is, for all intents and purposes, null and void.” He said, placing an arm around her. “What happened in Yutan… was a disgrace, and it is never going to happen again.”

"I…" She drew out the word. "I still don't understand why they had all of that. Things that nobody should know besides me, and why was it a disgrace? I mean, I guess that I get the whole taking me away part, but I keep asking questions. And, the answers only leave me with more questions. They trained me to ask questions when I was becoming… this. And, they must've done it too well because I was able with Astero's help to find out about all of this. I am dying for a straight answer at this point. Even if the answer hurts, at least, I would finally know the truth about something. This tenday has been miserable, and I just…" She sniffed as her eyes started to tear.

He pulled his daughter in for a hug, simply holding her close for a moment. “Asking questions is a good thing.” He sighed and pulled away from her. He held her hands, and carefully thought about his next words. “The information was gathered to see if you would be eligible to help The King. Everyone who is part of this group has the information gathered to make sure that they are genuine and down to earth people, to make sure that their actions and words coincide, as it were.” He explained to her slowly and calmly.

Magdiana slowly stood up, and opened her pack, grabbing the documents. She handed it to him, opening it to the offending pages. "Is that normal?"

A frown took Marius’s face. “No, that information should always be kept private.” His face was starting to turn red, but he slowly breathed in and out to attempt to calm himself.

She closed the file, and took it back. "Sorry."

He shook his head at her. “No, you have no reason to be sorry. This isn’t your fault in any way, you're the victim here.” He said, looking her in the eyes. “I'm sorry that this happened to you; you didn’t deserve any of this.” He pulled her in for a tight hug, and she could hear his voice break. “None of us should have.”

"Oh…" Magdiana mumbled into his shoulder. "I thought I'd embarrassed you. Those pages are too much information. That was anger, then?" 

He nodded. “Yes. They should have never learned any of that about you. The most sensitive information they would ever learn is allergies and fears. None of… that.” He said, waving a hand at the file.

"You have my full permission to smite the hell out of whoever it was that got that information." She chuckled. "The gods only know what I'd do if I got my hands on them."

Marius chuckled at her words. “I would love to be able to do that, but I have a feeling The King will have already taken care of that himself, personally.” He said seriously.

She shivered. "Yeah. Got to see his handiwork. Not anxious to see that again."

“What did you see exactly?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. “Humanoids? Or something else?”

"The humanoids, but I'm pretty sure that I can make some guesses about the other stuff he's got in his arsenal." She replied. 

“It’s best not to think about what he has. What you saw was a sliver of his power.” He said quietly and seriously. “For now though, lets just relax. You have been on the seas for at least a tenday, I’m guessing you will want to freshen up before your mom and brother get back.” He said with a smile, feeling the need to change the subject.

"A real shower would be appreciated." She responded.

“Alright then, follow me.” He instructed, standing up and leading her up a small flight of stairs before leading her to a room and opening the door for her. Inside the room was all of her things, a bed, and another door which she could see was a bathroom. The walls were a light shade of pink that could almost pass for white in the right light. He turned to look at her. “Sorry if you don’t like the color. This was going to be your room when you were younger, and we really never had the chance to know what colors you liked, so, if you want a different color, just ask.” He smiled at her.

She shrugged. "I don't mind it. My favorite is green, though."

Marius nodded, leaned in the doorway. “Figures, your mom's favorite color is green too. If you want me to repaint the room, I can do that for you.” He smiled at her. “Now, go and relax for a bit. It will be at least an hour before the two of them get back. And, if you are feeling up to it, we might get a chance to toss a few daggers, if you want to, of course.” He chuckled.

"Please. I've been cooped up on a ship for days." She responded before digging through her things for spare clothes. "I need a cold shower. It's way too warm here."

He chuckled at her as she said that. “It's spring. It’s not that hot. Wait until you get to summer. Then, it becomes unbearable.” He turned to let her take her shower, closing the door behind him as he left.

Magdiana quickly showered and got dressed, thinking about what the future would bring. She imagined possibly buying her very first dress, and was excited by the prospect. When she was decent, she returned to the living room, and sat down next to her father who was reading a book. "So, is the rogue thing okay? Am I going to freak mom out if daggers start flying?"

“That's fine. The daggers won’t freak her out per se, but she isn’t a huge fan of them flying, which is why I can show you where to practice.” He smiled at her, “Are you ready to start throwing or do you need to get your daggers?”

She smiled. "I'm ready."

He stood up, and began to walk to the back door of the house. “Come on. I'll show you my training area.” He smiled, holding the door open for her. Once she was through, he walked to the end of the back yard, which was covered in various types of flowers, he carefully moved in between two bushes, disappearing into the foliage.

"Does Mom know you train back here or is this a secret?" She asked as she padded through the grass. She found that her footfalls were louder here than they were in Yutan, and she decided that it would take practice to get used to being stealthy in the new environment. 

“Yes and no.” He half chuckled. “She knows that I try to keep training, but she doesn’t know I do it so close to the house.” He smiled, revealing a clearing just a few feet away, in it were several target dummies and actual targets that were hanging from different branches at varying heights. Marius walked up to a nearby stump, and pulled an axe out before throwing it swiftly into one of the targets, hitting the bullseye. “Also, I get firewood here.” He laughed a bit.

Magdiana smiled, "Finally, someone who can probably beat me." She threw one of her daggers, and knocked the axe out of the way. "There isn't much competition in Yutan."

Marius smiled at the hit. “Not bad at all!” He was surprised. “It isn’t easy to make a shot like that, but you did have a lot of training.” He frowned a bit before drawing another axe and hurling it at the target; it exploded in a radiant light. He smiled as the splinters hit the ground, and he walked over and picked up both axes and her dagger. “But, I think I could teach you a few things, too.” He grinned, gently placing the dagger back in her hand.

"Oh." She muttered. "You think… you think I could actually do that?"

“Don’t see why not. There are some clerics out there who can do the same thing. Maybe, you are one of them.” He smiled at her before stepping to the side. “Now, please. I want to see what that country has taught you, so I can fix a few things.” He said, leaning against a tree and crossing his arms intently watching her.

She smirked, eyeing the different targets around the clearing and taking aim. Seconds later, she let loose all fourteen of her daggers, four of them newly acquired from the ship. She hit every single target, seven in total, twice each dead center. She smiled, pleased with herself until one dagger fell off the target. "Why is there always one?"

He gave a slow clap, thoroughly impressed by the display. “Wow!” He said, looking at all the targets, and seeing even the hard to reach one's embedded with a dagger. A frown came over his face, and he covered it a few seconds later. A few sobs came out from behind his hands, and he slid to the ground crying.

Magdiana ran over to her father. "Dad?" She asked, pulling him into a hug. "You okay?"

“I should have been the one to teach you that.” He said, holding her tightly. “Not them.” He sniffled, looking her over as he spoke. “You’re a grown woman, now. We missed eighteen years of hugs, kisses, lullabies, crying, laughing… Just being together... I never even got to scold a boyfriend.” He chuckled a bit, wiping away tears as he spoke. “You are terrifying in the best way possible, but it just feels wrong.” He sighed deeply, still holding her close. “I just wanted to raise my baby girl.” He half-smiled, half-frowned as he brushed some hair to the side of her face before hugging her again.

She was crying now, hugging him even tighter. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "We've got each other now, and you get to show me cool stuff like blowing shit up with that glowy energy. And, maybe, even how to get the last dagger to stick for once. As for the rest, trust me, there were no boyfriends to threaten. I mean… that my 'parents' knew of." She used air quotes as she said the word.

“I bet that, if they gave you any shit, you kicked their ass… didn’t you?” He chuckled slightly.

"They didn't give me shit because I always have a knife on me." She told him.

“Smart girl.” He smiled, pulling her in and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He sighed slightly, and, then let out a chuckle. “We missed so many of your birthdays.”

She laughed. "Yeah, you owe me quite the backlog of gifts. I'll accept them as an appropriate wardrobe for the weather down here. I'm kind of dying right now."

“If you can hold out until tomorrow, we will get you a whole new wardrobe. In the meantime, I think your mother will let you borrow some of her clothes.” He said, starting to stand up.

Magdiana took a minute to process his words. "Wait… I can borrow… we're actually the same size. Wow. This is stupid, but I've never been able to borrow clothing before."

He looked her over briefly. “Well, I don’t know if they're the exact same size, but they should be close.”

"Better than bursting out of the other one's clothes." She looked down at her chest. "We couldn't share for some reason." She laughed. "I guess I'll thank Mom."

“Well, you certainly didn’t get it from me.“ He joked.

She looked into his eyes. "Eh, I got your facial features, so, I guess, that I should thank you too for the good looks."

He shook his head slightly. “No, you take more after your mother in good looks. And me in… weapons.” He said, looking around at the daggers. “I don’t know how you are getting some of them down, though.” 

She blushed. "I've got it." She grabbed the easy targets, and holstered them where they belonged, even grabbing the last one that fell on the ground. Finally, there were two targets left. One was pretty far up a tree, and the other was just out of reach. For the one that was out of reach, she backed up a ways, running and doing a handspring to get where she needed to go. She grabbed the daggers on the first try, and had them put away before she was on the ground. The other one was only slightly trickier. She climbed the tree for those, grabbing the daggers and throwing them down before flipping out of the tree and landing on her feet. As she put the last two away, she looked over at him. "What I lack in strength, I make up for in ability to use momentum to take down a target. I had to learn that because Astero is an asshole, and he always ended fights by pinning me to the floor."

Marius shook his head, and covered his face slightly. He looked up to her after a moment. “I don’t know this Astero guy, but it sounds like you fight a lot if he is pinning you to the floor.” He said with a raised eyebrow. “I will say one thing, though. He helped make you a formidable fighter. I bet he must be quite the fighter to have to want you to get so strong.” He stood fully up, and put his arm around her. “I would like to meet him, but, for now, let's get back inside. We don’t want to let your mom know we were out here.” He chuckled. “I have kept this place a secret for awhile now. Let’s try to keep it that way, huh?” He said playfully nudging her.

"Yeah." She mumbled before adding. "Wait. Does Jacob know? Because he really wanted me to show him what I can do."

He chuckled heartily. “Of course, he wanted to see you do that.” He sighed with a smile. “He knows about the area back here, and, when you show him, just make sure he is behind you.” He smiled at his daughter.

"Well, duh." She laughed. "I don't want to hurt anybo- him." She corrected as she reconsidered her words.

He put an arm around her. “Don’t worry. I'm sure you won’t.”

"Is it weird that I miss Astero?" She asked out of nowhere. "We were never super close except for competing over things, but we ran away from Evermore together. And, were in pretty close quarters for awhile. Now that he's gone, or away, or whatever, it feels… strange."

He paused as he walked, looking at her curiously. “Well it sounds like you two are friends, so it only makes sense.”

"I guess. It's hard to call someone who you fight consistently a friend. He's left me with more than one very nasty bruise after a spar." She shrugged. "And, other than that and the whole weird file thing, and his parents being gone… I don't know all that much about him."

“Well, have you asked him?” He asked her seriously. “Like, ‘hey, what's your favorite color?’ or 'whats your favorite food?’” He inquired pointedly. “It never hurts to ask.”

She shook her head. "No. No." She rebuffed. "I don't want him to think that I'm into him. After all this time and the even weirder tent escapades, he'd totally think that I was asking because I'm interested. It's not like he's all that bad looking or anything, but that is not happening."

“Tent escapades?” He asked, not sure what she was talking about, but shook his head. “You know what, no. It’s fine. I don’t want to know. Whatever-” He started before getting cut off.

"Woah, woah, there!" She interrupted. "It is not what you think it is. We got stuck in a blizzard, and I couldn't keep warm. So, we huddled for warmth in the tent."

He shook his head slightly. “Okay… well, I'm glad you're okay, and that he helped you stay warm.” He sighed, leading the way back to the house.

"That was a heavy sigh." She commented. "I know that I lack a filter, or is it the thought of your daughter and a boy?"

“Okay. It’s a bit of that last. The last time I saw you, you were still in diapers.” He shrugged, feeling a bit annoyed. “Also, still adjusting here, so bear with me.”

"Sorry." She looked at him a bit sadly. "There's not much we can do about it, so I'm just being myself."

“I am glad you are being yourself. It is making it easier.” He smiled at her.

She laughed. "If you want, I can randomly start crying and screaming at all hours of the night… Really give you the full experience."

“Please, no… Your brother, I love him to death, but he damn near ruptured my eardrums on several occasions.” He chuckled. “I won’t miss that part.”

She sighed heavily now. "Full disclosure, apparently, there was a night on the ship that I was pretty vocally having a nightmare… not that I remember it, and, when I was woken up, I might have stabbed Wake."

“So… knock when we call you for breakfast. Got it.” He smiled at her.

"I mean, we can always play knife roulette if that's your idea of fun." She chuckled.

Marius laughed hard as she said that. “I would. Your mother would be pissed if we did.” He smiled, opening the door for her to enter the house.

"She doesn't have to know." Magdiana looked to him. "Hey, are the herbs and things around the house fair game? I need to restock my herbalism kit."

He thought for a moment. “Would be best to ask your mother. She planted them, after all.” He said honestly.

She tilted her head to the side. "She planted wolfsbane?"

He sighed. “She kinda buried herself into botany when you were taken. If nothing else, it kept her sane.”

Magdiana nodded solemnly quickly moving on to her next inquiry. "And, I assume that I should keep the poisoners kit away from Jacob?"

“By an Intium mile.” He deadpanned. “He can choose to do it in his own time, but only when he is older.”

"You have a place to lock it up? Mine is just in my pack right now, and I don't think anybody around here requires midnight tears." She cringed as she admitted to one of the poisons in the kit in question.

Marius did a double take. “Why do you have Midnight Tears? Are you trying to take down a war rhino?” He asked in an exasperated tone.

She made a helpless gesture. "For the same reason I have other poisons. Assassin's Blood. Malice. There might even be some carrion crawler mucus in there. I don't need them, but, damned it all, if I need it and don't have it."

He made several incoherent sounds before slumping down on the couch. He held his face for a moment, talking behind his hands. “I’m shocked you haven't killed that boy yet.” He said murmured more to himself than anything before looking at her. “Yeah, give them to me after Jacob goes to bed, and I will put them away for you.” He sighed, before chuckling. “You really are a terrifying woman.” He smiled at her.

She sat down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "They made me terrifying." She muttered quietly, curling up on the couch next to him. 

He rested his hand on hers. “They did, but they also made one hell of a weapon.” He chuckled softly.

"Right." She snorted, shaking her head a bit. "I'm all show, though. No follow through."

He looked down at her with a smile. ”You said you can heal, too, right?” He asked her.

"Yeah. I've done it a couple times now, so I guess it stuck." She shifted a bit to get more comfortable.

“Then, do you have any idea how terrifying it is to see an enemy go from the brink of death, and back to full health in an instant? It's not something to be taken lightly.” He smiled down at her.

"I don't know what that's like. Astero was just a fighter. He did mention that my getting spells changed everything, though." She closed her eyes. "All of these skills, and I've never really used them. Makes me feel kind of useless."

“He is right you know. Anyone can swing a sword, but magic changes everything.” He explained softly, letting her relax. “And, you are not useless. You just haven’t been taught how to use them all yet.” He gently brushed her hair. “You will soon enough.” He smiled.

She sighed, thinking about all of the failed castings back in Yutan. "How does one even cleric? Accidently heal one day, and, then, a couple other accidental castings. And, that's just me now? This whole thing is strange. I thought you needed to pray and use a holy symbol or something."

“It varies, but your Mom will be the best one to teach you.” He explained to her not really having a real answer. “For now, just relax. We can do all that stuff tomorrow. We need to have dinner first.” He smiled, seeing Eri and Jacob walking up to the door.

"I'm not sure that I know how to relax." Magdiana admitted. "I basically always used to work and train."

Marius opened his mouth to speak as the door opened, and Eri walked in with Jacob both holding bags from the market. "We're home." The woman called out, and Magdiana looked over to see what they'd gotten. 

She was suddenly very sluggish, yawning loudly. "Sorry. Shouldn't be tired, but today's been a whirlwind."

Her mother looked over at her. “Don’t worry about it.” She smiled. “You lay down on the couch, and I will get dinner ready. I do hope you like roast chicken.” She chuckled.

"I eat everything." She responded, curling up and winding up with her head on her father's lap. Her eyes closed, and her light snores filled the room for a moment.

Marius gently lifted her head, and moved a pillow to take his place. He rubbed her head a bit before moving to help Eri with dinner. Eri smiled as Marius approached. “So, how is she?” She smiled, looking back to see Magdiana quietly sleeping on the couch. 

He chuckled a bit, looking back at Magdiana before looking to his wife. “Well, she definitely takes after the both of us. That's for sure.” He smiled. “You for her looks, and me for her tenacity.” 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What did you two do while we were away?” She asked, knowing that look of mischief on his face. 

He sighed a bit, and turned to her. “I kinda brought her to the training area to see what she could do.” He said, moving a step away from her, “But, you have got to see what she is capable of! She is incredible!” His voice started to raise in excitement.

Eri eyed her husband seriously. "I haven't seen you this excited since before Jacob was born."

He smiled at her with a small tear in his eye. “She is back Eri,” He said simply. “And she is so much like us in so many ways.” His cut over towards the living room to look at his sleeping daughter. “Her favorite color is green.” He chuckled softly.

"Is it?" Eri smiled. "Now, you're going to tell me that her favorite meal is steak and eggs."

He laughed at that. “That I don’t know, but, yeah, that is her favorite color. She said so when she was in her room.” He smiled widely before remembering something. “Also, she will need to borrow some of your clothes. All of hers are made for winter.” 

"Oh, poor dear." Eri sighed. "She's never experienced the spring before." Her eyes were welling up with emotion.

“I know.” He murmured, pulling her close. “I broke down earlier when you and Jacob were gone. It was hard to hear some of her stories.” He frowned, looking into his wife's eyes. “But, she is strong, I will give her that.”

"I'm afraid to ask." She told him as she placed the chicken in the pan.

“Not right now.” He said quietly. “Maybe tomorrow, you can ask her yourself. She says she needs help with the cleric stuff. That’s your department.” He explained, giving her a small nudge.

Eri sniffed. "My baby girl is a cleric."

“Yeah. She healed already, and dealt some damage, all on accident. She just needs help controlling it.” He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

She nodded. "I remember how shocking that can be. Along with everything else, it's like… puberty all over again." She laughed at her analogy.

Marius laughed at that. “Yeah, that is accurate.” he turned to see Jacob walking up to Magdiana, and he quickly waved him over. “Jacob! Get over here!” He nearly yelled.

Jacob froze, and looked at his father like he had done something wrong. He frowned and shuffled over to his father, looking upset.

Marius leaned down, and picked him up. “Look, you’re not in trouble.” He said calmingly. “Your sister just shouldn’t be suddenly woken up.” He said, looking to Jacob, then Eri, and lastly Magdiana.

"But, why? You guys wake me up all the time." Jacob asked.

“Well… you know Captain Wake?” He smiled at him.

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. He didn't stay to play when he was here earlier, though."

“Don’t worry, buddy. You can play with him next time.” He said ruffling his hair before looking towards his sleeping daughter. “Well, Captain Wake, woke her up, and it scared her. So, she accidently put a dagger in his arm.” He explained slowly and deliberately so he could understand; he turned to Eri to emphasize the ‘she is incredible’ remark from earlier.

Jacob unconsciously rubbed his arm. "Okay. I get it."

Eri's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Wake?" She confirmed. "I don't think I've ever seen someone catch him off guard."

“Yeah.” He nodded for her. “I haven't asked him myself, but she didn’t seem like she was lying.” he said in pseudo disbelief, looking to Magdiana.

"I would've paid to have seen that." She commented as she removed chicken from the pan and started to work on finishing the sides. "I'll prepare sending tomorrow if you want confirmation."

“I'm inclined to believe her, if her dagger skills are anything to go by, but I would love to hear his side of things.” He smiled, bringing Jacob over to the table and setting him down.

Jacob poked his father several times. "Can I watch Mag with the daggers?"

He looked to Jacob, and, then, to Eri. “Just make sure your mother doesn’t see.” He whispered with a smile to his son.

Jacob gave a childish salute. "Yes, sir."

Marius smiled, and patted him on the head before looking to Eri. “Almost done?” He asked her, looking towards the still sleeping Magdiana.

"Yes. I'm wrapping up." She smiled. "Bring your shield if you're going to wake her."

He nodded, and walked into the other room, returning a moment later with a slightly worn shield. He sighed a bit, and walked over to Magdiana. He extended a hand, and gently nudged her awake. “Sweetie, dinner is ready.” He whispered in a soothing manner.

At the feeling of being touched, Magdiana was awake in an instant, and her dagger was out and at the throat of the one that disturbed her. When she processed who it was, she dropped it. "Shit. Sorry."

Marius dropped the shield, and held her for a moment. “Don’t worry, it’s fine. No one is hurt. You're fine.” He said calmly.

She breathed in his scent, and found it was calming. "It's not okay. It's not… normal."

He sighed, and rubbed her back as he held her. “You will be fine. We will make sure that you don’t do that on instinct.” He promised, looking to Eri and Jacob. “Everything will be fine.”

"I don't want to hurt somebody." She whispered to him quietly, looking him dead in the eyes.

“You won’t.” He insisted, looking back at her intently. “I promise.” He held her cheeks, wiping one stray tear away from them.

She nodded, sitting up and picking up the dagger. When she stretched, she groaned. "Oh, I slept on one of the daggers. My back is killing me."

He helped her up, and laid his hands on her back, letting some of his healing magic wash over her. “Feel better?” He smiled.

"That was unnecessary, but thank you. It is better." She smiled back. "You know, I only remember being magically healed one time, and I was real little with a bad fever. They thought I was going to die."

“Well, thankfully, you didn’t.” He replied, leading her to the table. “But, for now, let's eat, shall we?” He smiled at Jacob and Eri.

"It smells phenomenal." She commented.

Eri smiled at the comment. “It tastes even better.” She said, serving everyone a plate.

Magdiana took her plate. "Thank you." She muttered, waiting to see what everyone else was doing. Was this a pray before meals type of family? She wasn't sure. Her parents were a cleric and a paladin. She could only guess.

Eri looked at her awkwardness, and laughed a little. “Please, help yourself.” She smiled as Jacob and Marius both began to dig in with haste.

Magdiana heaved a sigh, grabbing her utensils and practically inhaling her food only realizing after she'd finished how hungry she'd been. When she realized that the other three were still eating, she blushed. "Sorry. This week has been crazy. My schedule is all messed up. I didn't realize I hadn't eaten until just now."

Eri looked to Magdiana with a smile. “Do you want more? There is still plenty left.” She offered, holding her hand out for the plate.

"No, thank you." Magdiana said too quickly.

“It's okay to have some more.” Eri said, retreating her hand slightly, not wanting to push herself on Magdiana.

Magdiana eyed her mother and father. She didn't know what to say that wouldn't make them angry at the situation again. She pushed the plate towards her mother. "Okay, I'll have more… please."

Eri gave her a smile, and took the plate, returning it a moment later with another full meal for her daughter. Jacob observed the sight the whole time. “Don’t be afraid to ask for more if need be, Mag.” Eri smiled at her.

"Sorry. I'm not used to that, is all." She responded simply without giving any more detail.

Marius and Eri looked at one another, and nodded. “It’s fine. It will just take some getting used to, is all.” Marius told her reassuringly.

Magdiana ate her second helping much more slowly, and actually finished this plate as well. She looked between her parents. "Okay, now, I've eaten too much."

Marius chuckled. “Good. It's easier to relax on a full stomach.” He smiled, taking her empty plate from her and walking to the kitchen.

Eri took Jacob’s plate and followed Marius, leaving Jacob and Magdiana alone for a moment. Jacob looked over his older sister. “So, is it cold in Yutan?” He asked her curiously.

"Have you ever seen snow before?" She asked in return.

“Yeah!” He smiled back. “I made snow angels before!”

She nodded. "Remember how cold that was?"

He nodded. “Yeah.” He said simply.

"It's that cold, and sometimes colder, all the time in Yutan." She answered.

“Wow.” He said in awe. “You are awesome.”

She smiled. "I think you're awesome. I'm kind of jealous. You got to have Mom and Dad all to yourself."

“What? No! You’re awesome! You traveled the seas, can throw daggers, and, even, hit Captain Wake! I have the coolest sister ever!” He replied with evident excitement and enthusiasm.

She blushed. "I'm going to be the topic at school tomorrow. Aren't I?"

Jacob nodded so quickly it nearly gave her whiplash. “Yeah!”

"Please don't bring the entire class with you when you come home. I can only take so much excitement in a tenday." She laughed.

Eri walked up behind Jacob, and put a hand on his shoulder. “He will do no such thing,” She smiled down at him. “Because it is his bedtime.” She said, leaning down and giving him a small kiss. “Now, go wash up, and, then, come back and give your sister a hug before you go to bed.” She told him.

Jacob sighed, and did as he was told. “Fine!” He got out of the chair, and went to go clean up before arriving back a few minutes later to give Magdiana a big hug. “Night, Sis. It was great to finally meet you.” He smiled into the hug.

She hugged him back slightly worried about the daggers on her person hurting him, but nothing happened. When he let go of the hug, she spontaneously kissed his forehead. "Night." She told him. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

He smiled, and gave a small yawn. “Will do.” He then turned and disappeared to his room for the night, leaving Magdiana alone with her parents.

Eri walked over and gave her a hug. “I have missed you.” She smiled.

Magdiana hugged her back. "I love you." She muttered, following her gut and realizing she actually meant it.

Tears welled up in Eri's eyes, and she hugged Magdiana tighter. “And, I love you. Always have. Not a day went by when we ever stopped loving and thinking about you either.” She sobbed.

"Mom." She muttered, hugging the woman tight. "I didn't realize it then, but I missed this."

“And, I missed this.” Eri replied simply holding onto her daughter, savouring the feeling of being so close after so many years apart.

After a minute, Magdiana pulled away. "Sorry. It's just too hot. That was nice, though." When she stepped back, she remembered something, made an 'oh' sound, and walked away. A minute later, she returned with a box in her hands. She handed it to her father. "Please lock this up. I don't want anybody to get hurt because the idiots in Yutan decided that I needed to be able to lace my daggers with things."

Marius smiled as he took the box. “I will make sure that this is kept safe.” He chuckled, and walked to their bedroom to put the box safely away.

Eri looked on a little curiously, but turned to Magdiana. “You said you needed some clothes that are more suited for this weather? Right?” She smiled knowingly at her daughter. “Follow me. You can have some of mine.” She offered, walking to their bedroom as well taking Magdiana with her. A few minutes later, her mother had given her a whole assortment of things to wear, ranging from blouses to simple shirts. “There.” She said confidently. “You should be set for a good while before we go and buy you some clothes.” She smiled at her.

Magdiana was floored. Her eyes were watering dangerously. "Thank you." She mumbled. 

Eri sat next to her, and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. The gods only know we missed… all of your birthdays.” She frowned, but let out a chuckle. Her eyes watering a bit saddened by the thoughts running through her head.

“I know, dear.” Marius added, sitting next to her. “I had the same realization too.” He sniffled, before pulling Magdiana in to have a group hug. “But, now, we are all together, and, what happened when you were younger, will never happen again.” He promised the two of them, rubbing their shoulders.

"Can you tell me about yourselves?" She asked quietly. "Like, I know you're a cleric and a paladin. I know how you met, and that Mom and I have the same favorite color. But, I don't know anything else. What do you do for work? Did you grow up here?"

“Yeah, we were both born here, granted we did grow up pretty far away from one another.” Marius started. “I grew up in the northern part of Asesh near Pora.” He smiled before Eri continued.

“And, I grew up in Ishtashale, near Bretara.” She smiled. “Opposite ends of the continent.” She chuckled.

Magdiana blushed. "I don't remember my geography very well. Do you have a map?"

Eri blushed in return, and walked over to a small desk, pulling out a well worn map. “Here you go. I was born here, and your Dad was born here.” She said, pointing to the Northern and Southern parts of the map. The finger where her Dad came from was near the sea, whereas the area where her mother came from was mostly inland.

"Oh, wow." She muttered. "How did you end up here? Wait… where is here?" She started looking for the city name along the coast.

“Oh, we are right here.” She said pointing to a peninsula about half way between the two areas that rested on the Western coast. “We each had our own ‘faith missions’ as it were, and wound up running into each other about thirty years ago.” She smiled over at her husband.

“We didn’t know it when we first met, but we avoided each other like the plague.” He joked.

“We had worshiped different gods, so we thought it would end in disaster.” She added, looking at Magdiana.

Magdiana laughed. "Now, look at you. A couple of kids, beautiful house, and one of those kids is a cleric or… something. How old are you both?"

“I’m fifty four.” Marius said with a smile. 

“And, I'm fifty seven.” her mother smiled back.

"Am I actually Twenty three and born in Rhann, or was that all part of the weird kidnapping thing, too?" She asked curiously.

They nodded simultaneously before Eri answered. “Yeah that is right. You did just happen to surprise us when we first found out.” She chuckled. “We weren’t exactly planning on having a child, but we weren't... not trying to have one, either.” She smiled at Marius as she said that.

Magdiana blushed. "Isn't there a magicky way to stop that? I mean... not that I'm complaining."

“There is… we kinda just forgot to use it.” Marius blushed, causing Eri to smack him. 

“Marius!” She exclaimed, turning beet red.

“There was a party, and, although neither one of us were drunk, we just forgot.” He told her honestly.

Eri sighed, and looked to Marius. “Yeah, it was a crazy night.” She smiled before looking to the still red Magdiana. “We don’t regret it. We are glad it happened. A few months later,we got you.” She smiled, pinching Magdiana’s cheek slightly.

"Alright. The pinching is a bit much. I'm twenty three not three." Magdiana grumbled.

“Sorry. I just never really got the chance when you were little.” She shrugged, looking her over appraisingly. “But, I won't do it... much.” She grinned at her daughter.

Magdiana made a face. "Sorry. It's an adjustment for all of us. Trust me. You don't want to annoy me. I was pretty infamous for pranking people around town."

“Well, I guess that makes two of us then.” Eri grinned mischievously. 

Marius saw that look, and scooped back. “Oh no.” He sighed deeply. “Eri, if you do have a ‘prank war’, could you please keep it outside?” He asked, covering his face with a hand.

Eri looked to Marius, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We won’t have a prank war. It wouldn’t last very long anyway.” She smiled.

"Oh, okay. I see where that comes from now. But, I thought Corellon was your god. Shouldn't D-dad be the prankster?" Magdiana asked confusion evident even as she struggled over the affectionate word.

Eri smiled at her, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Corellon is the god of music, magic, arts and crafts, poetry, and, also, warfare. The phrase ‘all is fair in love and war’ comes from him. He is also pretty chaotic.” She chuckled.

"Are we sure that it's Mask for me?" Magdiana laughed, looking between them. "This just keeps getting more complicated."

“Yeah, we're sorry.” Eri sighed.

Marius nodded in agreement. “It won’t help that we have two very chaotic gods, so it could be one or the other. Maybe even both. It will be hard to tell, and you will be the only one who will know in the end.” He said, gesturing to Magdiana.

Magdiana made a helpless gesture. "I guess, I'll just do what I've always done."

“You will be able to figure it all out. You are a trooper.” Marius said to her. “You made it here in one peice. Hells, this will be a cakewalk for you.” He smiled at her.

"It couldn't be any other god, could it? Like, something weird and Yutan related?" She asked.

“It is possible.” Eri replied. “But…” She trailed off.

Magdiana nodded. "Unlikely… I wonder why my magic took so long to kick in. When did you become a cleric and paladin?"

“Around your age.” Marius said first.

“A little younger than you for me.” Eri replied.

"Oh. So, it's not like a puberty thing?" She asked.

“No, but it can definitely feel like it.” Eri chuckled, looking to marius. “We just had this conversation while you were asleep.” She smiled.

Marius chuckled a little. “Yeah, it can be hard, but it definitely gets better.” He smiled for Magdiana.

"I accidentally healed someone. I'm afraid I'm also going to accidentally hurt someone right now." She winced.

“Don’t worry. I doubt that will happen. You will be fine, if you can heal, there will be no problems.” Eri told her calmingly.

“You won’t hurt anyone.” Marius added. “Not unless you want to actually hurt them. Then, they will get hurt.” He said from experience. “It's a combination of feelings and emotions, really.”

She nodded "Astero told me that it's different for him, which I don't really understand. I just kinda feel frustrated or sad, and... Bam! Magic."

“Who’s Astero?” Eri asked curiously.

Marius chimed in. “The one who came here with her. They're friends.”

“Oh. Well, it’s nice that you have friends.” She smiled, glad that she had someone to look after her. “Yes, casting is different for everyone. Some learn it differently than others.”

"Speaking of him… I might drop by where he's staying tonight. I'm worried about him." She frowned. "He got really weird after he found out that I had two sets of parents and his were…" She got quiet.

The two parents gave a slight frown at that, but it was Marius who spoke up. “You will be back here tonight, though? Right?” He asked her seriously.

"Of course. I was considering sneaking out like I always used to, but I figured that you're both too smart to fall for the pillows under the covers trick." She laughed. 

Eri smiled at that. “That would have been an easy give away.” She chuckled. “That's fine. We will stay up and wait for you to get back.” She softly spoke.

Marius nodded at that. “Yeah, we don’t mind staying up a bit later than normal for you.” He smiled at her.

"Well, go to bed, if it gets too late. I'm an adult. I've got this." She said, brandishing a dagger. "If anybody messes with me, they'll regret it."

Marius rubbed his neck and looked at the shield. “Yeah… whole lot of good that did me.” He chuckled.

“I don’t mind staying up.” Eri replied. “What's a few more hours?” She smiled at Magdiana.

Magdiana nodded. "Okay." She stood up. "I'll see you in a little bit."

The two of them gave her a quick hug. “See you in a few.” Marius smiled at her.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” Eri smiled as well.

'I'll try not to keep you up too late." She promised as she left the house, swiftly following her footsteps from earlier in the day, and, then, the directions of Wake that he'd given to Astero before that. Darkness had fallen. This time of day was her time, and, just like the night, she passed silently almost unnoticed. Soon, she arrived at The Rook, and let herself in.


	4. Luft

The inside if the inn was rather unassuming with simple wooden floors and tables; the walls had a few pieces of art that bore images of ravens and the sea. The only real thing of interest was a large rook piece that one would see in a game of chess. The piece itself stood around two feet tall, and was incredibly detailed even though it was carved out of dark ebony wood. Astero looked at the odd carving and shrugged before he walked up to the bar. A short moment later, a red skinned tiefling woman walked up to him. “Hello, young man. How can I help you?” She asked with a smile.

“Hello, ma’am.” He greeted. “I'm here to purchase a room.”

“A room? Okay. How long are you staying?” She asked, now, seeming more curious.

“Not entirely sure.” He sighed. “At least for the night. After that, I haven't decided. Maybe, a tenday tops?” He shrugged.

“So, are you staying for a night or a tenday?” She asked, sounding annoyed. “Because you have to pay up front, and I don’t give refunds if you leave early.” She informed him, placing her head in her hand. “So, which will it be?” She asked him, this time, looking for a serious answer.

Astero sighed, and pulled out the coin pouch that Wake gave him. “How much will this get me?” He asked, gently tossing the pouch on the counter.

The woman picked up the pouch, and looked it over intently before a smile crept across her face. A moment later, she was laughing. She wiped away a stray tear, and emptied the pouch, pushing the coin back to him and pocketing the pouch itself. “For you, it’s on the house.” She chuckled as she spoke.

“Uh, all because of a pouch?” He asked curiously, gently sliding the coins into his own pouch.

A small sigh escaped her lips. “No… not just because of a pouch. Because the man who gave it to you is my husband.” She smiled.

Astero shook his head. “Wait… hold up. Captain Wake is your husband?!” He asked in shock.

“Uh, yeah. That’s what I just said.” She shrugged at him. “Been married for just over a decade now.” She smiled.

He looked at the tiefling woman, and sighed a bit. “Okay. Sorry, it’s been a long tenday, and I am still processing a lot.”

“Don’t mention it.” She waved him off. “You just came from Yutan, I get it. It was cold there, and you're still getting used to the weather here.” She chuckled.

“How did you know… right married, you would know that.” He sighed, and began to realize just how warm he was starting to feel. “Fuck. Yeah, it is warm.” He complained, shaking his collar to cool off.

“Ha. It’s spring. This is nice.” She laughed, and handed him a key. “Wait until you get to summer. You will pass out from the heat if you aren't careful.” She sneered. “Now, go up and take a cold shower. I will have some clothes delivered to you in a little bit.” She gestured him away.

“Thanks.” He nodded, grabbing the key to the room and making his way there. Upon entering, he set his things down, and quickly jumped into the shower. Astero spent several long minutes under the showerhead, reveling in the cool feeling of the water. When he left the shower, he found a set of clothes laying on the bed for him. He sighed, of course, he hadn’t heard anyone enter the room. He looked over the clothes, and thought they were too thin to be normal clothes closer to sleepwear than anything else. He shrugged, and put on the light cotton garments, he was never one to be picky. Once he was changed, he realised he was starting to get hungry, and walked back down to get some much needed food.

When he arrived back down, Astero saw Captain Wake getting pulled by the horn and scolded by his wife. Astero fought the urge to laugh and lost nearly falling down the last two steps of the stairs in the process. He quickly caught himself, and chuckled. “Hey, Wake. Long time, no see.” He smiled at the man.

The woman stopped dragging the Captain, and waved to Astero. Wake looked to Astero, and sighed heavily. “Just fucking perfect.” He groaned a bit, standing upright. 

“Oh, what? Did you think I would be gone already?” Astero scoffed. “I can see now that you really do care.” He sighed, and walked over to a booth to be by himself.

Wake sighed, and followed the young man, sitting down across from the man. “No, I just wasn’t expecting you to see me in such a predicament with my wife.” He admitted honestly, looking at her as he did so.

“Lovers quarrel. I get it.” Astero offered as an excuse, waving him off. “I don't care to judge.” He smiled.

Wake sighed again, and looked to Astero intently, now. “Look. I just don’t want my crew to see it, alright?” He whispered in a serious manner.

“Why? And, again, why should you be worried about me? I ain’t staying here for that long.” Astero nearly grunted in an odd combination of wistful frustration.

“Well, about that. I don’t think you should go off on your own.” The tiefling started, looking over the young man. “You two shouldn’t split up.” He paused for a moment as if in thought. “This whole thing involves the both of you, and you two being separated doesn’t sit well with me.”

Astero raised an eyebrow at him. “Why?” He asked seriously, shaking his head at the idea. “No. She will be fine on her own.” He argued, looking over the menu briefly before settling on his food of choice. “Besides, this just means that, the next time I see her, she will be stronger.” He smiled.

The Captain shook his head, and smiled. “You two really are an odd bunch. You know that, right?” He asked Astero seriously.

“What do you mean?” The young man asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Wake sighed a bit. “Look. You say you're rivals, but you two were always watching each other's backs on the ship even though you didn’t have to.” He explained quietly and deliberately for the other man.

“Well, yeah. We each want the other to be stronger, so keep an eye out for one another.” He explained a bit slower for the Captain who clearly wasn't understanding.

“What I am trying to say is… your not rivals. Your friends.” He said bluntly. “With a crazy story if ever I heard one.”

Astero shook his head, “No. I barely know anything about her.” He replied defensively.

Wake scoffed. “What is her favorite food?” He asked with a smile.

“Steak and eggs. Why?” He replied without a moment's thought.

“And, when she fights, does she prefer her right or left hand for punching?” He asked, resting his head in his hands.

“Right, but anyone could have told you that from seeing her fight.” Astero replied like it was no big deal.

“True, but I never saw her fight.” Wake pressed, looking at him intently. “Not once while you were on the ship.” He added, trying to drive the point home.

Astero thought for a moment before shaking his head. “You... Are crazy.” He said, waving for a waitress to get his order.

“Call me whatever you want. Crazy, asshole, devil touched. I have heard them all, but I am telling you the truth. You two are much stronger together than apart.” He paused for a moment as an idea hit him. “You two have fought each other countless times, right?” 

“Yeah, but I am not seeing what that has to do with anything.” He asked, skeptical of what the tiefling was asking him.

Wake shook his head, and looked towards Astero, shocked. “You have fought each other, but have you ever fought together? Like fighting someone or something? As a team?” He asked, leaning in as he started to get invested in the answer.

Astero thought, and shook his head. “No, most of the time, we just argue about who is right, and, then, fight each other.” He shrugged.

Wake sat back in the booth, flabbergasted. He watched as the waitress took Astero's order, and silently processed what he had just heard. When the waitress left, Wake leaned back in. “Okay, so who has won the most fights between the two of you?” He asked now, trying to judge asteros prowess.

“I have.” He said with a smile. “She is good with a dagger, but, once you get in close, you can just pin her. After that, she's done for.” He chuckled.

“Oh. My. Gods.” Wake gaped with an open mouth. “She threw a dagger into my arm, and I didn't even see it coming. You mean to tell me that, not only have you beaten her, but you thought that ‘demonstration’ was ‘good’?” Wake asked a bit louder now.

“Yeah.” Astero said simply. “That was nothing. She can throw like ten of them in a few seconds.” He deadpanned. 

“And, what can you do?” The Captain inquired, leaning back in disbelief. 

“Can either swing a blade really fast at you, or cast a few spells in rapid succession. Or both, if I am feeling up to it.” Astero shrugged.

“You two of you are a force of nature and you don’t even realize it.” He urged quietly. He looked to Astero who was getting served his food. “Look, just stay in town a few days, and play it by ear from there. Okay?” He pressed, coming up with a plan.

“Well, that depends on Mag.” Astero replied, taking a bite of his steak. “I really don’t want to hear about her family. I… just don’t want to deal with that.” He sighed, taking another bite of his food. 

Wake raised an eyebrow. Why would Astero not want to deal with that? Wake asked himself, he knew Astero was an orphan, but this seemed like a bit much. “I will talk with her if I see her…” Wake trailed off standing up.

Astero nodded, and quickly began to eat his food before he ordered some more.

Wake left him be, and watched him walk upstairs a little while later, he sat next to his wife and sighed. Just as she was about to speak, Magdiana walked into the bar. He waved her over curiously. “Hey! Over here!” He called to her.

"Wake!" Magdiana smiled. She eyed the other female tiefling and her ring. "And, the better half."

He smiled at her. “Yes, this is my wife, Raze.” He smiled, introducing her.

“Hello, dear.” Raze smiled.

"Nice to meet you." Magdiana greeted, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. "I would say that I've heard a lot about you, but that would be a lie. That one likes to know everything and say very little."

“Amen to that!” Raze smiled widely at that remark, staring daggers at Wake as she did so.

Wake sighed, knowing he was about to get an earful very soon. “So… what are you doing here? I thought you would be back at your parents place sleeping soundly by now?” He asked her seriously, hoping all was well.

"I would be, but I was worried about that idiot that I brought with me." She winked.

Wake chuckled a bit. “Figures as much. He just finished eating his fill, and went upstairs.” He said pointing upwards.

“Room 6.” Raze added, keeping her eyes fixed on Wake.

"Thanks." Magdiana nodded, and walked quietly up the steps. She easily found the room, and knocked on the door.

Astero perked up; he wasn’t expecting anyone. He carefully opened the door, and was shocked to see Magdiana standing there. “Uh, hey. What are you doing here?” He asked, looking around for anyone else.

"You had me worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay." She answered honestly.

“Uh, yeah. I’m doing fine.” He replied. “Nothing to worry about. I wasn’t expecting to see you, actually. I thought you would be off with you parents, having dinner and all that.” He said, waving her off.

"Yeah, funny story. I thought it was great, but I kept bringing you up. And, earlier in the day, my dad was asking about what we were… Nevermind that, but he said that we're friends. And, friends check in on friends." She said. "Also, you're not fine. You need to hit something. I can see it."

“Huh… Wake said something similar earlier…” He quietly replied before shaking his head. He heard the rest of her words, and agreed. “Yeah, hitting something sounds good.” He chuckled.

She nodded. "Well, get your shit. We're going to spar."

He looked her over, and shook his head. “I am ready… got some new lighter clothes, and I can summon my weapons. Remember?” He reminded her, shutting the door behind him as he walked out into the hallway. “Come on. Now, I'm waiting on you.” He smiled.

"Oh, it's one of those nights." She winced, glad she could heal." She came down the steps quickly. "Hey, Wake?" She called out.

Wake looked over to see the two of them coming down the stairs. “What? Are both of you leaving now?” He dejectedly sighed.

"Got a place where we can beat the snot out of each other?" She asked with a laugh.

He let out a sigh of relief, and pointed to a back door. “Yeah, out there. Plenty of room. Just don’t hit the building.” He pleaded, and followed them outside, not wanting to miss this show.

"Deal." She said, marching out the door and removing one of her outer shirts. She still hadn't actually changed clothes yet. Seven of her fourteen daggers were now visible. "Ready?" She asked.

Astero walked out and summoned his dagger to him, stretching as he did so. He took a stance and waited. “Ready.” He said, now focusing on her movements.

Magdiana flipped backward once, and used the momentum to rush him, jumping just before she reached her target and using her full body weight and legs to try to take him down. In the process, one of her daggers gained purchase on him, and slashed his side… but only just. She was mid swing in her takedown when she realized that he'd countered, and she barely had time to react, protecting her head as she went down on the ground hard.

Astero quickly leaned back, and flipped up onto his legs. He took his dagger, and threw it at her, getting her in the leg. He then ran up, and began to pick her up before bringing her right back down hard onto her side. He was about to grapple her but she saw it coming, kicking him in the face before moving around him, and making some distance between them.

She smiled. Distance was her friend when it came to fighting Astero. She let loose not one, not two, but three daggers. She had a flash of memory of how her father could add extra oomph to his, and she willed it so as she threw them to no effect. Not even a faint glow. Damn. All three of her weapons struck home, but only one embedded itself into his skin. The others were just flesh wounds.

He felt the daggers cut his skin, and sighed. They weren't bad on their own, but collectively they were starting to suck. He grunted, and stood up, summoning his greatsword. He dashed at her then quickly covering the distance before he made four quick attacks in rapid succession. Magdiana was able to parry the first one, but the other three cut into her flesh. He gave a small grin, and took a guarded step back, waiting for her next move.

She reacted to his movement back by thrusting a dagger into the leg that had just moved. She was trying not to heal herself for his sake, but damn that greatsword hurt. She couldn't counter that with daggers. She wasn't strong enough. Desperately, she struck out at him with another three quick swipes before disengaging and backing away several feet.

He waved his hand, and was able to deflect two of three attacks with a spell. He could tell she was starting to play on the defensive. Her movements were starting to become more desperate. He took a step back, and took a deep breath, and some of the pain went away. He looked up at her intently. “Come on. Where's all that healing?” He goaded her.

"Was trying to be fair and not use it." She replied, panting heavily. She was sweating due to the weather.

He sighed, and stood up, letting his guard down. “For the love of all that is holy, don’t hold back!” He yelled at her. “You think someone is going to hold back for you out there?” He said, pointing a hand out into the nothingness around them.

She wiped her brow. "No." She muttered, waving a hand, and letting her wounds close. When she'd finished, she threw a dagger. This one hit, but didn't stick. She rolled to the side, seeing him watch her movements and at least wanting to make things difficult for him. She still had ten daggers on her person to work with, but her mind found the locations of each of the ones she'd used already.

He let out a small sigh of relief as she healed herself, and cursed himself for leaving himself open like he did. The dagger didn’t stick, but it still hurt. He ran up and took a swing at her, but she dodged out of the way. His second swing was able to just get her leg from before, leaving a bit of crimson on his blade.

She felt the blood running down her leg, but ignored the pain, rushing him in the same manner she had before. Except, this time, she led by throwing a dagger, which was more of a distraction than anything. She ran into Astero, and brought him down to the ground in a whirl of momentum that made his grip loosen on his sword. Once he toppled down, so did she. Without thinking, she grabbed a dagger and slammed it with all her might into his thigh. It took her several moments to process what she'd done. "Fuck." She muttered.

Astero let out a yell of pain, as the dagger went deep into his leg. He grabbed her, and threw her off of him. He grabbed the dagger, and quickly pulled it out of his leg, causing him to yell out again. He threw the dagger at her in a small rage, causing him to miss, instead nailing a bit of her clothes to the ground. He heaved for a moment, and turned to walk inside, limping as he did so. He was through with sparring for the night. He looked at Wake, and scoffed. “Friends my ass.” He muttered under his breath, but loud enough for the Captain to hear.

Wake stood frozen from the intense battle he had just witnessed. He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. They fought like pros, and he was glad he wasn’t on their bad side. He shook his head to go help Magdiana up off of the ground. “Are you okay?” He asked her, giving his hand out for her to grab.

Magdiana removed the dagger from her clothes and grabbed his hand. When she was on her feet, she waved a hand, and her bleeding stopped. "I'm fine." She answered, retrieving her weapons from the ground. She sighed. "When he wakes up, he won't be." She took out a small pouch of herbs. "This is oregano. You can either put it in a muddler and get it damp with a little water or chew it for a second. Then, put it right in the wound. It will help kill any germs and relieve pain. Tell him that I said sorry." She sighed as she started to walk away.

Wake helped her up, and looked at her curiously. “Me? You’re kidding me right? You go do it.” He replied, pushing the herbs back at her before she had the chance to get too far away. He then turned to look at her directly. “Do you two fight like this all the time or was this just a one off?” Wake asked her, the ferocity of the fight still fresh in his mind.

"Give or take a little blood. He was a bit more… mercurial than normal." She shrugged, opening the door and heading inside. "If you hear screaming, it's him… He's not happy with me. I accidentally broke the rules."

“What rules?” Wake asked her following her for a bit. “And, why did you guys go so hard at one another? That was intense, and you say that is normal?” He sighed heavily, shaking his head as he did so. “You two, without a doubt, are the oddest couple I have ever met.”

"That was a bigger wound than we normally allow." She answered. "And, why? I don't know. We're competitive, I guess. And, we're not a couple. I will cut you if you say that again."

Wake chuckled at her words. “Figures you two wouldn’t notice.” He commented, walking over to a table and sitting down. “Go. Heal him or whatever you plan on doing. Just don’t ruin my wife’s inn, or she’ll kill me.” He sighed.

"Wouldn't notice what, Wake?" She huffed.

“The both of you say you aren’t friends. Yet, you both know exactly when the other isn’t feeling well, or even not in a great mood… that’s not rivalry.” He shook his head. “No, you two are more than that.” He said simply.

"Look, if all of the adultier adults in my life say it, I'm going to stop arguing, but it's not me you have to convince." She responded. "Now, excuse me while I go get myself punched in the face for helping."

“Alright.” Wake smiled at her, waving her off. “It’s up to you two to figure out what you are.” He said quietly, taking a drink as he said so.

She half-glared at him. "It's not going to change much. We're not going to suddenly be all hugs and love or something like that."

“Like I said… that’s up to you two to figure out.” He said. “Go get punched in the face.” A barking laugh escaped his lips.

Magdiana climbed upstairs and didn't bother knocking this time. She used her tools to open the door. He wouldn't answer it for her anyway. She opened the door, and whispered. "Hey."

Astero glared at her as he tied a bandage around his leg. “What are you doing here?”

"Fixing my fuck up." She told him walking forward and waiting to feel his ire. She started to undo his bandage work. He’d actually done a pretty good job with it. "I didn't mean to do that, you know."

He winced when she grabbed his leg, and looked at her intently. “I know, but you still did it. And, you got me good at that.” He grunted.

She concentrated for a second, and watched the wound magically knit together. There was still some redness, so she started working with the herbs she had tried to hand Wake earlier. She placed it on the wound, and started to wrap it again with the bandages she’d removed. "As?"

“Yeah, Mag?” He asked, looking up at her from his leg.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked.

He looked at her curiously. “It’s orange... Why? What’s with the weird question?” He asked her with a tilted head. 

"The adultier adults in our life asked me, and I realized I didn't know." She responded simply, standing up and looking at him. "I don't like not knowing things."

“Why are they asking about crap like that? And, if your geography is anything to go by, I’m worried.” He sighed, standing up and testing his leg. When he realized how much better it felt, he looked back at her. “Thanks.”

"You're welcome." She responded. "Can you do me a favor?"

“What's that?” He asked with a sigh.

She cringed. "Punch me in the face, please. I don't want Wake to be right."

“Right about what?” He asked, taking a step forward.

"He just had that look of not believing me when I said that you would hit me for trying to help." She laughed. "And, sometimes, I think he needs to be wrong."

“You sure?” He asked, cracking his knuckles.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll have one of the parental…"

Before she could finish her sentence, he punched her in the face. “There you go.” He said nonchalantly, moving to go get some water.

"Son of a bitch!" She shouted before whining. "Yeah, I deserved that." Her hand tenderly pressed against her eye. "Alright. Goodnight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

“I will try, but I’m not making any promises.” He replied simply with a smug, victorious look on his face.

She left the room, and walked downstairs, waving to Wake and his wife. "Night." She called out.

Wake looked at his Raze, and she looked back at him. “Well, they really are the odd couple aren't they?” She asked the Captain.

Wake looked back at her. “Yeah.” He sighed with frustration, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Something told him that these kids would be a tough pair to crack.

Magdiana made it back to the house without incident, and let herself in. She saw that both of her parents were quietly curled up on the couch, reading. "Hey." She said, cringing when they saw her face.

“Oh, my gods! What happened?” Eri exclaimed as she saw Magdiana’s face, and got up, running over to her.

"It looks worse than it feels, I'm sure." She mumbled. "We had a spar. I stabbed him. He punched me, and I've used up all my juice for the day."

Eri held Magdiana close for a moment before casting a spell on her, healing her instantly. “Feel better?” She asked.

Magdiana blinked a few times, pressing the once tender area. "Yeah, it actually does. Thanks."

“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled at her before she looked to Marius. “What type of friends do that to one another?” She asked him, not used to seeing something like that.

“I have no idea.” He sighed, looking at Magdiana. “If it ever gets too bad, I can always…” He trailed off, making a few jabbing motions.

"Dude, that was an average first day for us." She laughed. "Don't even worry about it. At least, I have healing this time."

“So do I.” Marius replied.

“And me.” Eri added. “I may not know this guy, but I am not afraid to put the fear of god into him.” She threatened with a righteous look about her.

Magdiana waved her hands. "No, no. Please don't worry about it. We just had a spar... Wake watched it and everything! It's what we do. You can watch sometime."

“Okay…” She sighed, putting her hands into the air. “Just know I can do the same thing your father does, just with a bit more ‘oomph’.” She smiled at her.

Magdiana laughed, remembering the target exploding from earlier. "Any more oomph and there will be nothing left of the poor guy. Now, I'm going to head to bed. That took a lot out of me."

Marius looked at Magdiana, and smiled. “Goodnight. Sleep well.” He murmured, turning to Eri. “That would be interesting, going to see them fight.”

“Night, Mag.” Eri smiled at her daughter, pulling her in for a hug before letting her go. “Sleep well.” She smiled, turning back to Marius. “If we go, I am going to give him an earful.” She deadpanned.

Magdiana's door shut, and Marius grabbed his wife's waist. "I'm sure you will, dear. Now, let's get to bed. We've had an exciting day."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, and sighed contently. “A long, eventful, and happy day. Our baby girl is back.” She smiled up at him.

He leaned down, and gave her a gentle kiss. “Yeah, she is.” He leaned his head on her and yawned. “Okay, come on, Eri. Let’s get to sleep.”

Eri nodded, and yawned. “Yeah, let’s.” She took his hand, and lead him to the bedroom. The two falling asleep quickly.

Astero was lying quietly in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn’t tired, even though he was physically exhausted. He tossed and turned, struggling and unable to get to sleep. After a while, he sat up, and walked over to the nearby window, opening it up to get some air. He looked down at his leg. It felt much better. He smiled at that; she was a damn good healer, even without the magic she had. He looked up at the stars, they were the same here as in Yutan. He thought about what Wake said earlier in the day about him and Mag. The two of them had known each other for well over a decade, and, even though he knew her for a long time, he didn't know that much about her. He knew her habits and some of the little surface things about her, but she was an enigma to him otherwise. Astero sighed. Wake was right. Maybe, he should try and get to know her better, or, at the very least, fight her less. He winced, thinking that, if they kept going at it like they had, they might just end up killing one another. He felt a yawn pull at his lips, and he laid down, letting sleep finally take him.

Magdiana awoke in the morning with the dawn. She dressed in her mother's clothes, and quietly padded out of her bedroom. She did a few stretches, and went about her usual routine, winding up outside of the house in the front yard for a light workout. One or two hours later, her mother popped her head out of the front door. "Magdiana! Breakfast is on the table." She called out, closing the door to get back to the rest of the family.

Magdiana walked back inside, enjoying the feeling of the somewhat cooler house. She sat down, and grabbed her utensils, "Thank you." She muttered before digging in. When she'd finished, she looked around the table, eyes finally landing on Jacob. "Ready to go to school?" She asked him with a small smile. "Since you're going to talk about me all day, I might as well drop you off and pick you up."

Her younger brother was still waking up, but, when he heard her words, he smiled at her. “That would be awesome.” He half-mumbled, half-smiled happy that is sister would be spending some time with him.

Marius smiled at his two children. “Then, if you’re going with us, I might as well show you where I work when we drop the little trouble maker off.” He chuckled, pointing a piece of toast at Jacob, before taking a bite.

Magdiana smiled. "Yeah. Can do. Let me go get changed, though. I'm still not used to this heat."

“Don’t worry. You will.” Eri chuckled. “Just takes some getting used to is all.”

"I will be shocked the day that happens." She grumbled. "I feel like I'm dying of heat stroke."

Marius chuckled this time. “Have you ever actually experienced heat stroke in Yutan? Because you will know it when you feel it.” 

"Hypothermia." She shrugged. "And, you know that when you feel it too."

“Yes, you do.” Marius replied, and looked to Jacob who was almost asleep in his eggs. “Come on, buddy. School awaits.” He chuckled, standing up, and moving to get the young child ready for school.

“Okay.” Jacob mumbled blindly following his father's directions. He quickly got ready thanks to his father’s urging.

Magdiana got changed, and emerged from her room around the same time that Jacob did. She smirked as she looked at him. "Hey, bud, your shirt is backwards."

Jacob looked up at Magdiana, and, then, to his shirt. He sighed lightly, pulled his arms into his shirt, and spun it around. “Better?” He asked with a little smile.

"Yeah." She giggled. "Is this an every morning thing? Because I have some stuff that could wake you up."

Marius chuckled at her words. “Yeah, this is pretty common. He gets that from his mother.” He chuckled at his wife who was resting her head in her hands. “He will grow out of it, but, for now, we need to be on our way.” Marius smirked, leading Jacob to the door. “Love you, dear!” He called back to Eri.

“Bye Mom!” Jacob called out.

"Be safe." Eri called out, yawning loudly.

“Always.” Marius smiled back, and placed an arm around his daughter. “Come on. Let’s show you the town a little.”

Magdiana smiled. "Yeah. I've basically only seen the same parts of it over and over. So, basically, the docks."

“Well, you will be glad to know that there is much more than just the docks.” He smiled. They walked down the same road Magdina had taken to get to the house, but they didn’t follow it all the way back to the docks. Instead, they turned just after halfway there, and passed a few houses, coming into view was a decent sized school with children of various ages running around. Jacob bolted off a moment later, coming back in a few short seconds, dragging a friend with him to show off his beast of a sister. Before he could properly show her off, the bell rang, and Jacob sighed deeply before running off to get to class. The two waved him off, and began to walk to Marius’s place of work.

Along the way, Marius gave Magdiana the grand tour, pointing out the large park to her as well as the city hall building. They passed several stores ranging from pastries, to exotic textiles, to odd trinkets, and a large magical district. ‘The perks of sea trade.’ Marius explained. A few minutes later, they were close to the inn Astero was staying at. It was right down the street. Marius lead them to a trading company, and they entered the building, being greeted by all of the people inside. Marius greeted them back merrily, and turned to Magdiana. 

“Welcome to Caladrius Company. Where we will get your goods to your destination, no matter how far or how difficult the task.” He smiled at Magdiana, and lead her towards the back of the building before sitting down at a rather large desk that was currently overloaded with piles of paperwork. “So what do you think?” He asked her, beginning to quickly sort through the parchment, and putting it into smaller more manageable piles.

"So, does Wake work for this operation?" She asked.

“Yes, he is one of the top merchants. Hasn’t missed a shipment in the 30 years he has worked here.” He smiled at her, looking back and forth between her and the papers.

"I only met him a tenday ago, but that really does sound like him." She smiled. "Should I get outta here? I don't want to distract you from your job… wait… shit. You don't own this place, do you? That’s a lot of paperwork."

He shook his head. “No. This place has been around longer than my grandparents.” He chuckled. “If you want to go. I won't stop you. This will take me awhile to get through, so I don’t expect you to hang around for the entire day.” He smiled at her. “This is just me checking for anything fucky.”

She laughed. "No, I don't think I will stick around. That's not exactly my idea of fun, but I do have a couple questions, now that I'm thinking of it."

“Shoot.” He asked her, listening intently to her while still checking the paperwork.

"Uh… what's... our surname?" She asked with a lot of trouble. She was starting to blush.

Marius looked up at her with an odd look, and, then, realized that she hadn’t been told yet. “Oh, sorry! I can’t believe that we completely skipped that.” He chuckled. “Our surname is Rothenel.” He smiled at her.

She covered her face with her hands. "Dude. You guys stuck me with a seven fucking syllable name." She whined. "You know how long it took me to spell my first name as a kid?" A bitter chuckle escaped her lips.

Marius gave a slight chuckle. “It was your grandmother's name. Eri’s mom to be exact.” He told her with a small smile on his face. His eyes were meeting hers, but he looked like he was seeing through her. Memories of her grandmother.

"Huh." She hummed. "Good to know… My other question is… my paperwork on you and Mom says that you worked for the military. Why aren't you doing that anymore?"

“Well… we had a daughter. We kinda wanted to be around for her.” He joked. “And, this is much safer.” 

"Oh… oh, yeah… that makes sense." She mumbled, realizing how much she'd changed for them without knowing it. "Anyway, I, uh, will see you later."

“See you later.” He smiled, standing up and giving her a hug before she left. “Try to stay out of trouble.” He joked.

She nodded. "I will. I kinda need to figure out what to do with myself, though. I'm not used to going without a routine. Not that my routine was all that special."

“Well… your friend is in town right?” He sighed. “Could always go and hang with him. Just… keep the violence to a minimum. Please?” He asked her seriously.

"I make no promises. Fighting is what we do with each other." She deadpanned.

“Then, just try to heal yourself before you get home. I don’t want your mother to have a heart attack… or kill your friend.” He grimaced.

She nodded. "Yeah… but, in his defense, I did deserve the punch. And, Wake was proven wrong, so I call it a win."

Marius sighed, and waved her off. “Go on then. I can’t really stop you, anyhow.”

"Alright. Later." She waved, heading out of the building and towards The Rook. She shuffled in, waving to Wake's wife and glancing around until she found Astero eating breakfast at one of the bar tables. She sat down in front of him. "You gave my mother a conniption last night."

Astero jumped a bit as Magdiana suddenly appeared in front of him. He quickly calmed himself, and sighed when he heard her words. “Why is that?” He asked, taking a bite out of his eggs.

"Eh, the shiner I asked for." She whispered. "Couldn't exactly tell her that it was to prove a point."

He shrugged; he wasn’t really sure of what to say. “Sorry, I guess.” 

"It's fine." She responded. "I admit… I feel kind of useless at the moment. I have nothing to do around here."

Astero finished his meal, and set the empty plate to the side. He nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you're telling me. Already did my morning workout, and, now, I am just bored off of my ass.”

"I would offer to spar, but I don't think that's the best idea at the moment. We might actually kill each other." She sighed. "Maybe, I should just go find a job."

“Yeah, don’t really want to risk getting any unwanted attention.” He agreed. “If you want to get a job, go for it. You certainly have the skill set to get one.” He chuckled, trying to think of what he would do if he were to find a job.

She frowned. "I don't think I like this… I mean… I like that I've found my family, but I just feel…" She paused for awhile, trying to find the right word. "Aimless."

“Like you are in an ocean, and you have no clue which way to go.” He added to her sentiment quietly, realizing how closely they were on the same wavelength at the moment.

She nodded, staring at his eggs, but not actually seeing them. "Yeah."

The two sat in silence for several minutes before Astero spoke. “Hey, Mag, what’s your favorite animal?” He asked her, suddenly remembering his thoughts from the previous night.

"The arctic fox." She responded, not missing a beat. She looked at him funny for a minute before finally saying. "Are we really going to do this? What's changed?"

“Last night got me thinking, and I realized that we know like fuck all about the other. We’ve known each other for, like, what? A decade?” He asked, making sure he had his facts straight.

"Dude… We're twenty three… We've been fighting each other since we were five or six. That's nearly two decades." She responded.

He shook his head in disbelief for a moment before looking at her. “Okay… and, in the two decades we have known each other, I ask you this, what do I like to do as a hobby?” He asked her.

"Beating the shit outta me is all I can think of." She answered with a sardonic chuckle. "I'm sorry… we've known each other forever, but… we know nothing about the other. I think… I think... that, in another life, we could've been real friends. Outside of Evermore."

He nodded at her. “Yeah, probably.” He sighed. “But, then again, I doubt it.” He replied back.

"Alright." She said resolutely. "We're doing this. Finish your breakfast. We're going out."

He drank the rest of his orange juice, and looked at her. “I’ve been done. Finished it soon after you got here.” He chuckled.

She stood up, and started walking to the door. "Whatever." She grinned. "How do you feel about a game? To get to know your oldest frienemy?"

Astero followed her out of the inn and onto the street. "I'm game." He laughed. "So what do you have in mind?" He asked curiously.

"Basically truth or dare." She answered. "Except with us, so… more extreme."

"Uh… okay. Just nothing too crazy." He added. "Don't want to get arrested." 

"Nothing that will get us arrested." She laughed. "But, there's still plenty to do. Who gets to start?"

"By all means, you go first." He said, gesturing to her.

She nodded. "Alright. Least favorite household chore?"

"Laundry." He replied back near instantly. "That is one of the reasons I learned Prestidigitation."

She laughed. "That's so lazy of you. I didn't expect it."

"Oh, yeah. I’d much prefer to do dishes." He laughed back. "What about you? What is your least favorite chore?"

"Ironically, dishes." She answered easily.

"Huh. I expected it to be cooking or something like that." He nodded at her. "Okay, then. What’s your least favorite food?" He asked with a chuckle. "Pretty sure I actually do know your favorite food."

"Anything spicy." She answered. This made her think. She knew his favorite food, but she didn't know the same. "What's your least favorite food?"

"Peanuts." He deadpanned. "I am actually allergic to them. One of the many reasons I would sit away from you at lunch." He said honestly, blushing slightly.

She glanced at him. "Shit. You could've told me."

"Eh. I just stay away from them, so I'm just used to it. Besides, we never hung out enough for it to come up." He said honestly.

"Dude. I could've accidentally killed you." She whispered seriously.

"Only if you fed me like a pound of them." He whispered back. "One peanut won't kill me, nor will a sandwich. It will just suck to breathe for a while." He said calmly. "Relax, you’re fine."

She nodded. "Alright, but do you have any other allergies I should know about?"

He shook his head. "No, just peanuts. I can have other nuts. It's only peanuts." He explained to her.

"I'm allergic to lavender. Makes me sneeze and itch. Found that out the hard way in the shop." She commented.

“That blows, I actually like the smell of lavender. That must suck.” he replied feeling sympathy for her.

She smiled a bit bitterly. "The avoiding of it is the worst part since it's a plant. I have herbs to deal with the reaction if I have one."

“Lucky. I don’t have that luxury.” He sighed. “I just have to deal with it if it happens.”

"I could get the herbs for you." She answered quickly. "They're not hard to find."

“Actually, that would be nice.” He smiled at her, letting out a little nervous chuckle. “I do like the taste of peanuts.”

She winced. "Please don't purposely start inducing allergic reactions."

“What? No… I’m not that stupid.” He replied. “Maybe once, though. Just to actually have a Pb&j sandwich. I missed out on those growing up.” He mused.

"Can you wait until I learn a restoration spell first? I would rather have a surefire fix if you're going to do that." She smiled.

“Sure.” He nodded back. “If I can wait this long, I don’t mind waiting a bit longer.” He smiled back at her.

Magdiana lead him towards her parent's house, not really knowing where to go but remembering the secluded area behind it. "I think you're up for questions."

Astero thought for a moment, trying to think of questions that he didn’t know, but not make them too personal. “How many languages do you speak?” He asked her. “Other than elvish of course.” He chuckled. “I speak three.”

"Four. Technically." She answered. "Common, elvish, draconic, and thieves cant."

Common, Elvish, and Infernal.” He replied. “Leaned elvish to make sure you weren't making fun of me.” He smiled at her. He looked around, and saw they were outside of town. “Where are we going?” He asked her.

"My parents live outside of town. There's a secluded area behind it where we can safely let loose and do stupid things." She explained.

He sighed a bit at her words. “Fine. I just don’t want to talk to your parents. Nothing against them or anything. I bet they’re nice, I just don’t do well with parents.” He said, starting to get quieter and quieter, mumbling a little bit.

"I know." She muttered, looking at him a little sadly. "I'm sorry."

“Don’t be.” He replied back trying to liven the mood a bit. “I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to ask a question.” He smiled at her.

"When you were little, what did you want to do with your life?" She asked, starting to get more personal.

“I wanted to train animals. Birds mostly.” He said actually looking up at the sky and seeing some birds flying high above. “Very free animals.” He muttered to himself with a little smile.

She nodded solemnly; she could practically feel his emotions in that moment. They were hers as well. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm certain I wouldn't be the way I am if I hadn't been steered in the right direction."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Right direction? I hate to say it this way, but I don't know if you had much of a choice. Hells… neither of us did.” He sighed.

"Exactly. I might be a cleric… an actual cleric and not a shitty one. Or, literally anything else." She sighed. "Who knows… You know what? It doesn't matter. It's already done."

“Yeah.” He nodded. “We at least got out of there while we are still young. We can still steer things in the right direction for us.” 

"If neither of us had been chosen for this fucked up shit, we might actually have grown up friends. It sounds like our parents knew each other a little bit." She thought aloud.

“That would have been nice. To actually have a real friend.” He smiled before a frown took him. “Unlike all those jackasses growing up.”

She nodded, finally admitting. "I don't have any real friends. Besides, well, I guess, you… according to Wake and my parents."

Astero paused for a moment, looking her over curiously. “I thought you had a ton of friends. Who were all of those girls I would see you hang around with during lunch, then?” He asked, remembering Mag having lunch with a gaggle of girls every day at school years ago.

"You could call them friends, I guess, but I didn't have anything to do with them after we got out of school. They were more a means to an end." She responded. "Something to get me through the day, really."

“Huh. I guess we have more in common than I thought.” He replied, moving again. “I did the same thing, but I’m pretty sure that they only sat with me to pick up chicks.” He added before turning to her. “And, thanks, Mag. You kept me going when it got dark. I appreciate it.” He smiled.

She frowned. "I have to admit… our training and spars got really intense after… that. I think that's where things really became what they are. Huh?"

“Yeah… it did.” He frowned. ”Sorry you had to deal with that. I really am.” He appologized seriously.

They finally made it into the clearing with the targets. "It's okay, As. I'm pretty sure that I'd be dead if our fights hadn't made me stronger."

He shrugged a bit. “You would have been fine. I can’t tell you how many of those fights I won by acting like I was still able to keep going. You would kick the shit out of me.” He told her honestly.

"Huh." She answered. "I guess I never realized."

“Don’t get me wrong. I never once held back, but you should have won far more of those spars than you did. That was one of the reasons for the weapons going too deep. It gave me a chance.” He admitted, looking directly at her.

"I had to learn how to do takedowns because of you." She laughed. "So, thanks."

“Oh, gods, no. I immediately regretted that! I had to basically workout like a lunatic to keep up with… all of that.” He said laughing, gesturing to all of her.

She giggled. "And, you don't think that I didn't eat dirt hundreds of times learning how to hook your neck with my legs and throw you with my entire body weight?"

He sat down on a nearby log, and chuckled. “I was there, and you got it down. That was the weirdest sensation, the first time you got that to work. Standing. Then, suddenly... on the ground.” He said, gesturing the moves.

"It was ridiculously satisfying to finally pin you after being pinned about a billion times before that." She smirked. "I think you get a question now."

He sat back, and thought for a moment. “So, what are your hobbies? Other than kicking my ass.” He smiled.

"Honestly, you kind of know them. Fighting. Herbs. Poisons. Sometimes, I'd…" She blushed. "Sometimes, I'd go, and spy on people. That sounds so bad now that it's happened to me. Don't think that's a hobby anymore. I guess I'd sometimes read too."

“Peeping tom.” He chuckled at her. “Yeah, I would read too. I doubt you would actually be able to guess mine, but I like to bake and cook. Pretty good at it too.” He said with a smile.

She smiled. "In my defense, they were training me to do that. It also turned out to be for the best because that old guy, what's his face, that used to live next to the school… he was a total creep. I'll leave it at that. As for the baking and cooking, I'm jealous. I'm not great at it, but I won't starve either."

“It was either learn to cook and bake or starve.” He said honestly. “Plus side, though, it has helped me plenty of times.” He smirked to himself. “If you want, I could teach you a few recipes. You could cook them for your parents if you want.”

"I'd actually really like that." She responded affirmatively. "It would be nice to make them a dinner sometime… Hey, Astero?"

“Yeah, Mag?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She made a face as her mind went over the possibilities. "Do you think that it'd be insulting to them if I found a place nearby to live? As nice as it is to have them…" She didn't finish her sentence, just letting it trail off.

“It feels weird. Doesn’t it?” He asked her seriously. “You just met them, what? Yesterday? You’re still getting used to them.” He told her simply. “If I were you, start saving money, then move out. Just let them know first.” He advised, giving her his two cents. “They should understand that you’re an adult.”

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and rubbing her temples. "I don't know how ready I am to have my own place. It's… a lot of responsibility." She admitted. "I wish that this was easier."

“I did it for years. I understand how hard it can be, though. It wasn’t an easy transition.” He sighed, thinking of his first few months alone. “I would recommend getting a roommate.” He said honestly.

"Where are you going to be, As?" She asked seriously.

“I have no idea. I was thinking of leaving town for a bit, but will probably just get an apartment in town, if I am being honest.” He said looking back at her.

"Hey, As?" She asked.

“Yeah?” He asked, looking back at her with his piercing grey eyes.

She looked him dead in the eyes. "This sounds crazy, but… do you want to live together, just friends, sharing a place?"

Astero was a little shocked by her words. “I’ve never had a roommate before… let alone a female one.” He told her quietly. He thought it over for several minutes to himself, and looked back at Magdiana. “Yeah, I guess. I’d rather it be you than some random person.” He said honestly.

She smiled widely at his positive response. She walked over to him, and pulled him into a tentative hug. "Thanks, Astero." 

He gently hugged her back, and pulled away. “No problem.” He smiled at her. “Also… Is that the first time we ever hugged?” He asked her seriously.

"No." She responded honestly. "But, you probably don't remember it. Just like the time we kissed."

“Okay… please explain that. Because I’m drawing a blank.” He said honestly.

She sighed, sitting next to him. "We were brought to the elder's place when your parents…" She trailed off. "When your parents died. You kinda cried yourself dry in my arms practically, and, when you passed out from it, I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a blanket and tucked you in. I gave you a hug and a kiss."

He was speechless for a moment before a smile cracked his lips. “Thank you.” He whispered sincerely. “I thought we actually ‘kissed’, I would have beaten myself up if I’d forgotten something like that. I’m glad it was just you being a great friend.” He said honestly to her with a smile.

"Can I be honest with you?" She asked a bit nervously.

“Isn’t that what we have been doing?” He responded with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but this one is kinda big…" She admitted, looking over at him before staring away. "Uh, thanks for being my first kiss."

He chuckled. “You’re welcome. Thank you for being the first girl to kiss me.” He said, nudging her lightly. “It would’ve been ten years later otherwise.” He chuckled.

"Yeah." She responded, cringing. "And, Jackson was a terrible kisser. It was gross."

“So was your friend.” He shook his head. “It was like kissing a statue.”

"They were meant for each other." She laughed. "And, she totally deserved the itching powder."

“Ouch.” He chuckled. “Joke’s on her then. I was told he had crabs, so she will be itching for awhile.”

Magdiana shivered. "So glad that I threatened to stab him rather than fuck him now."

“Oh, yeah. Trust me… you dodged an arrow with him.” He told her honestly. “He has been known to cheat with like three girls at once.”

"Creep." She growled. "Probably should've just stabbed him and saved the other ladies in school a lot of pain."

“Nah. Let them figure it out.” He said, waving a hand at her. “Most of them were idiots. I have met dogs with more brians.” He grumbled, clearly annoyed.

She chuckled. "Anne had the sense to ignore that asshole and pin you down, though. At least, for awhile. You two were… downright enviable."

“It was anything but. Anne was nice, but, behind closed doors, she was toxic.” He said honestly.

"Oh." She frowned. "I never realized. You two always looked so happy. I admit, I always wanted what that relationship looked like from the outside."

“Looked happy for a while, but it fell apart in the end.” He admitted before looking at her. “Don’t worry, you will find someone.” He said reassuringly.

She shook her head. "I think that I just want to be Magdiana for awhile. I'm still trying to figure out how it all comes together with the whole parents thing. I don't really want a guy to complicate that…" She looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't. "I almost got way too personal there. Sorry."

“It’s fine. I get it.” He said in agreement. “For the time being, I will focus on getting a place to stay in. You focus on just saving.” He explained

"I need a job." She laughed. "Between the two of us, though, I know we've got at least forty gold."

“A few less than that. I spent some on clothes.” he said honestly

Magdiana smiled. "It's okay. I still have some more from working at the shop." Her mind started to work overtime then, and her smile grew insanely wide. "I just realized that we have so many options we didn't have before. We could… we could adventure."

“That is not what I was expecting.” He said honestly, thinking the option over in his head. “It would be the best idea, and gives us the chance to get stronger too.” He added.

"I mean, I'll still get a real job, but… we could never do that before. They wouldn't have let us." She looked at him, bouncing with sudden excitement.

“I don’t think I have ever seen you so excited.” He laughed at her giddiness.

She nodded. "This is better than the solstice celebration."

“You must have had a great time during that time, because I thought it was garbage.” He mumbled with a little bit of confusion. “I’ll get a job too. Might as well double up on everything.”

"Did your family… when you were younger… not exchange gifts for the winter solstice?" She asked curiously. "And, yeah, the more money, the faster we can make this happen. Living with… admittedly… my best friend."

“It just begs the question then. House or apartment?” He asked her seriously. “Because it might be cheaper to get a house over an apartment, depending on how much we make.”

She looked at him for a long moment. "You think you can put up with me long enough to buy a house with me?"

He scoffed at her. “Please, we lasted this long today without punching each others teeth in. If anything, we are taking a step in the right direction.” He smiled at her.

"Alright. So, why don't we save to buy a house, but try to make it through a summer here before we make a decision." She laughed.

“Agreed.” He nodded. “It will give us time to get a good amount of coin saved.”

"So, are either of us actually going to ask a question that the other doesn't want to answer?" She laughed. "Because, so far, we have defeated the purpose of truth or dare."

“Well, we already know who each others first kiss was.” He chuckled. “Who was the first person you slept with?” He said, getting right into it.

She nodded. "Wow. That escalated quickly. Do you remember that guy who graduated a couple years ahead of us? Darren. Black hair, kinda pale?"

“Vaguely.” he replied back. “That guy? Really?” He asked her.

"Yeah." She responded. "He was… very sweet. I'll leave it at that. If you could have dinner with your parents right now, what would the first thing you say to them be? Besides all the obvious reunion stuff."

“Gods, I missed you.” He said simply.

She nudged him with her elbow. "That's obvious reunion stuff, but that's okay. You can keep your secrets."

“It would be more along the lines of how they thought I turned out.” He added. “But, I’m really not too sure, probably whatever you did with your parents.” He smiled a little wanly at her.

"Honestly? I never asked." She told him. "It was obvious from their reactions that they didn't care if I was the world's biggest screw up. I was theirs."

“I’m jealous.” He smiled at her. 

"Don't be. I just had to ask my Dad what my last name was." She sighed.

“You, at least, have someone to ask.” He joked, nudging her lightly. “What is your last name?” He asked her curiously.

She sat back, and answered. "Rothenel. My parents gave a defenseless infant a seven syllable name."

“The savages. They could have at least given you a shorter first name.” He chuckled.

"It was, apparently, my grandmother's name." She responded. "Which I can understand, but I've never known her. So, it's kind of hard to appreciate."

He nodded, understanding her predicament. “It’s not so bad. Mag is still pretty good.” He commented, looking at her. “So, what is the most wasted you have ever been?” He asked her, knowing it was his turn to ask a question.

"Eh. I've never blacked out or anything. Just some wine and things. But, I did black out once when working at the shop. Didn't know that some drugs could be inhaled at the time." She laughed. "I, apparently, said some very interesting things that I don't remember."

“Well, that’s one way to learn about drugs.” He chuckled.

"Yeah, and every word I said was in my file too." She rolled her eyes. "Apparently, I am very open when I'm high off my ass… Have you ever thought about me sexually?" She asked, escalating her inquiry to the next level, and waiting for him to refuse the question.

Astero slowly turned to her with a raised eyebrow, and put his hands on his head. “Yeah.” He sighed. “In my defense, I was drunk, and it was the warmest day in Yutan at the time.”

"It's okay. We've been in pretty close quarters all our lives. I expected it… especially since I have too." She responded. "Your question."

Astero shifted on the log a bit. “Okay. Since we are already getting to the crazy and dirtier secrets, what is the kinkiest thing you did to a guy?” He asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

She looked at him steadily. "Uh, I… he tried to take one of the daggers that are holstered on my back off, and I threatened him with it. He liked it."

“Oh, one of those types.” He chuckled. “Bet that was an interesting experience.”

"It was." She responded. "Apparently, I made a very good dominant for him." She shrugged. "Have you ever wanted to kill someone?"

“I have killed someone.” He said seriously. “But no one has ever pissed me off to the point of it. Nor have I ever just wanted to do it for sport.” He said calmly.

"I'm legitimately upset that The King already took care of the people who screwed with our lives so badly. If there were ever a person… people that I wanted to kill… it's them." She resolved.

“I’m glad he did it, then.” He said, looking off into the distance. “Because it would have been closer to torture if I got ahold of them.” He said, letting out a long sigh.

She nodded. "You're not alone."

“Thank the gods for that.” He nodded back at her. “So, why daggers? Of all the weapons, why those?” He asked her.

She took one out of its holster, brandishing it before them. "It's what I'm best with, for one. It's versatile. I can use it to cut herbs or slit a throat. I can use it up close or at range. They're cheap, and I can keep dozens of them on my person at a time."

“How many? Twelve?” He asked her, not entirely sure on the number.

"Currently? Fourteen." She responded easily.

“Where do you keep them all?” He asked her seriously. “I know you have a few on your legs and back, but I cannot figure out the rest.”

She laughed, "There are eight on my legs. Three on my waist. Two- one on each forearm. And one in a holster on my back."

“Huh. If you ever get a coat, you could hide even more.” He chuckled before he remembered something. “Wait. When you came into my tent the other night, were you wearing the holster?” He asked.

"I didn't disarm myself during that entire adventure. That being said, I sleep with that one under my pillow. It's uncomfortable at night." She answered honestly.

“Ah. That would explain that then.” He said to himself.

She thought for a minute before deciding on a question. "What's it like to have killed somebody?"

He looked at her intently. “It is a very powerful feeling. Like playing god.” He deadpanned. “The downside is living with it.”

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "Neither of us is going to refuse to answer. Are they?"

“It’s fine. It’s not your fault.” He sighed slightly. “Nope.” He added, popping the ‘p’.

"I regret not thinking of you as my closest friend sooner." She told him. "I honestly never realized it until it was practically shoved in my face."

“Same. You are more interesting than I thought you’d be. Not to mention a great person to talk to.” He commented, looking at her with a smile. “Thanks.” He added, rubbing her shoulder.

"Hey, As? Do you wanna go get day drunk and overshare with each other?" She offered seriously.

“I don’t have anywhere to be, unless you do.” He responded honestly. “So, sure.”

She laughed. "Damn. I guess that we'll have to go back and prove Wake correct. Shame, really."

“Worst case scenario, just hit him with another dagger. You already did it once while half asleep. It will be a cake walk wide awake.” He laughed at her.

She laughed, standing up and offering him her hands. "Well, you're not wrong. Let's go back to The Rook."

He pulled himself up with her hands, bumping into her slightly before he dusted himself off. “Shall we?” He chuckled, letting her lead the way since he had no real clue how to get back.

She chuckled, and started to lead the way. "So, I won't push, but I'm willing to bet that my parents would like to meet you sometime. Especially, if we're gonna live together."

Astero sighed. “Yeah, I figured they would want to. I just hope they don’t try to kick my ass.” He joked.

"Uh, yeah… about that… my mom got really fired up about the shiner. Sorry." She winced.

“Thank fuck I can cast sheild.” He said quietly.

She laughed. "I'll tell her the why. Maybe, she'll understand."

“I’m hoping.” He sighed before her looked at her. “What is your mom? A cleric?” He asked, making sure he had his facts straight.

"Yeah, she's the cleric. Dad's the paladin… I saw what he can do… shit's scary." She cringed.

“Great… I pissed off the one who can kick my ass then heal me just to repeat the process.” He winced. “Maybe, we shouldn’t spar anymore.”

"Technically, I could do the same." She laughed. "And, they're just going to have to get used to it because I'm not stopping our spars."

“Okay, good.” He smiled at her. “Because it would be a bitch to find a good sparring partner.” He laughed.

She nodded emphatically. "Yeah, we'd either kill the poor sucker, get our asses kicked in, or scare the person away after the first bout."

He nodded back at her. “Yeah… pretty much spot on.” He chuckled. “We’re kind of intense.”

"I don't think that there's any substitute at this point. You're stuck with me." She laughed. "Hey, I have a question…"

“Oh, no… how ever will I survive.” He mocked sarcastically before he turned to her. “What's up?” He asked.

She got a funny, conspiratorial look on her face. "Did you ever have a crush on me?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, and shook his head. “No. I only ever saw you as a challenge… Why? Did you have one on me?” He asked her back.

"No, not really." She waved a hand. "I was just curious if I was somehow fulfilling some childhood fantasy or something by living with you."

He chuckled. “No. The only childhood fantasy I have ever had, is to get a cake for my birthday.” He said with a slight frown.

She suddenly sobered up. "You never had a cake for your birthday?"

“No.” He said, shaking his head. “And, if I did, I don’t remember it. I was really young when I had to start living by myself.”

She frowned. "Motherfucker." She muttered. "I'm going to bake you… with my impressive baking skills, mind you, two fucking birthday cakes this year."

Astero made an odd face. “I’m pretty sure, I could make a better one, and I would much rather have a trial version to know what I am getting myself into.” He chuckled at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not that bad. It'll be edible… just fugly."

He smiled at her. “If it looks like crap but tastes good, it's good.” He recited. “I got a few tips from one of the cooks in Evermore.”

At this point, they were walking into The Rook, and both quickly made their way to a table at the bar. "What's your favorite drink?" Magdiana asked.

“Chocolate milk.” He said honestly. “Quick and simple, but tastes delicious.”

She facepalmed. "I should've been more specific. Alcohol."

“Oh… that would be a pina colada.” He chuckled. “It has flavor.”

"Strawberry daquiri." She responded in turn. 

“Huh, we both like fruity drinks.” He smiled, waving a hand for a waitress.

She smiled. "Fruit is good. There was never enough back home."

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to get an orange?” He agreed. “It was a fucking nightmare!”

"Yes, I do." She nodded. "Orange rinds are a huge thing for herbal remedies."

“Damn. I'm sorry.” He said apologetically. “I had to know a guy to even be able to get mine.” He shook his head.

She smirked. "Which guy?"

“Henry.” He replied simply.

She made a face. "Worst fence in town. You kidding me?"

“No, but I got them for the cheapest there.” He sighed.

"He was cheap, but, also, slow as fuck." She told him before placing her order with the waitress.

He placed his order as well. He waited a moment for her to leave before he turned back to Magdiana. “Oh yeah. I know.” He sighed longer. “Two months for five oranges, and they weren’t even that great.”

"I'm sorry." She told him. "Let me get my feelers in place here, and, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm good with those types."

“Thanks.” He smiled at her. “There are a few recipes I want to try making, but I never could get my hands on the ingredients. So, any food I make you will be getting some of that.” He chuckled. “Think of it as a small form of payment.”

"You had me at food." She responded, eyeing a familiar blue tiefling as he walked by. 

Astero saw her glance towards Wake, and he leaned back in his seat to get more comfortable. “Good. You're going to like it.”

"I predict gloating incoming in five… four… three… two…" She looked up to see Wake turning a chair around and straddling it. "Hey."

“Well. Good afternoon, you two. I see you are both in good spirits.” He chuckled, looking at the two of them over.

"Yup." She hedged.

“Mhmm.” Astero quietly hummed.

Wake sighed, and looked the two of them over. “Oh, drop the act.” He said, shaking his head at them. “Raze heard the whole conversation before you left this morning. She told me about you two going to ‘talk’.” He smirked, making air quotes.

“Of course, she would tell you.” Astero sighed. “And, yes, we just talked, you ass.”

Wake gave a small smile, and raised his hands. “Hey, I just said what I heard.” He raised his hands defensively before turning to Magdiana. “Like you bringing your brother home.” He deadpanned.

She winced, and bashed her head into the table. "Fuck. I totally forgot. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I am the world's worst sibling."

“You are lucky I talked to your father after I heard about your chat.” He said seriously. “And, don’t worry, he's fine. I brought him home, and told him you asked me to bring him home instead after some ‘business’ came up. He talked all about you on the way home.” He looked at her pointedly, letting it sink in deeper.

She left her head on the table. "I'm an idiot."

Astero looked at her oddly. “I asked you if you had anywhere to be. You said 'no'. The fuck, Mag?!” He raised his voice in frustration, shaking his head at her.

"Dude." She sniffed quietly, feeling embarrassed about the whole situation. "It's not like I grew up being an older sister. I found out about it, like, fucking yesterday. I forgot."

He shook his head slightly, and looked over at her. “You better go spend time with him tomorrow… in fact, you are spending time with him.” Astero said seriously.

"I will." She told him. "I have to put the daggers away around him, though. He really wants me to show him how I use them. Apparently, Mom will have a heart attack, though."

Wake sighed at that. “I have seen your Mom bash a guy’s skull in. Why she is so protective of Jacob, I will never understand. Mark my words, he is going to be a monster when her gets older.” He chuckled.

"Wake… her first child was taken away and raised by strangers. Why do you think she's protective?" Magdiana deadpanned.

“Okay, let me reiterate. I understand that you were taken, but she could have taught him to wield a dagger, or, at least, some self defense classes. Gods only know your Mom can do it.” Wake informed her seriously.

"I just don't want to start a fight by teaching him something I shouldn't." She finally whispered. "Dad was upset that there's so little he can teach me."

“It wouldn’t be much of a fight.” Wake quietly whispered before nodding in agreement with her. “We talked a lot while you were gone and earlier today. He was upset, but he is far happier knowing that you are alive and well than not being able to spend time with you.”

She looked between Wake and Astero. "I have no idea what to do here… wait a fucking second. Did you go report the details of our spar to my Dad?"

Wake shook his head. “No. I told him I was there for it and that you two fight like lunatics, but I didn’t take notes on it.” He shook his head at her. “We don’t do that. The ones in Yutan did.” 

She nodded. "That's fine. Just wanted to know if, when we fight, he's going to know my tricks."

Wake laughed at her words. “Oh, you make it sound like you have a chance.” He said wiping away a stray tear. “Your Dad could take the both of you on, and you would still lose.”

"I kinda figured after he showed me how he throws a single dagger, but I'm scrappy. I'll last longer than you think." She chuckled. She pointed a thumb at Astero. "And, this one, would let out all the stops."

“He would drop you first.” Wake said pointing a finger to Magdiana. “And, then, stun you to beat the shit out of you with her.” He explained, turning to Astero, and waving his fingers in turn.

“I doubt he is that good.” Astero muttered in disbelief, looking to Magdiana for some kind of reassurance.

Magdiana looked at Astero dead on. "You know the targets I hit daggers with?"

“Yeah, why?” He asked her.

"My Dad obliterated one with a single glowing axe the other day. It was horrifying." She told him.

“The fuck?” He mumbled. “Remind me not to piss off either of your parents.” He shivered.

"My Dad thinks he can teach me the glowy axe thing." She smiled.

“Ugh.” Astero sighed. “Please, no. It’s already hard enough to keep up with you. I don’t need to try to keep up with that as well.” He frowned.

She frowned. "Dude, once you get your extra, extra, extra attack, my shitty daggers won't be able to keep up."

He looked up to her. “Do you have any idea how long that’s going to take?” He asked simply. “It took us over twenty years to get where we are now. That will be an eternity away.” He sighed deeply.

“And, what if it wasn’t?” Wake asked the two of them with a small grin.

“What?” Astero replied, voice peaking in curiosity and interest.

"I'm confused." Magdiana added.

“Like you said, it took you twenty years to get where you are now, but you were only fighting each other.” Wake reminded them. “I bet you two know each others tells and if the other person is holding back in an instant right?” He asked the two.

Magdiana nodded. "Hells, a few years ago, I knew he had the flu before he did because he was so sluggish."

Astero nodded as well. “And, I can tell when it is about to be shark week for her just by her actions.” He said simply.

Wake cringed a bit. “Yeah… exactly…” He sighed, looking to Astero and shaking his head. “That being said,” Wake trailed off before changing the subject the subject. “If you two work together and fight someone who is stronger, you will learn a hell of a lot quicker, and even bounce ideas off of one another, too.” He explained slowly for their benefit.

"Who're we gonna fight?" Magdiana asked, feeling kind of baffled. "Other than my Dad."

Wake smiled, and looked at the two of them. “Hello.” He nonchalantly took a sip of his drink.

Astero looked at Wake for a moment, looking a little confused. “Wait. You want to fight us? Why wouldn’t we just fight her Dad or someone similar?” He asked seriously.

“Because… unlike her dad. I didn’t stop training.” Wake deadpanned. “Marius settled own, and had shit go sideways. I kept on the seas, needing to fight off pirates and the like.” He grinned.

"I know that you've got magic, but I never did figure out what kind." Magdiana commented, humming in thought. "That ship spell was pretty strong…"

“Yes, it is. Which is why that’s where we’ll be training.” He smiled back at her. “And, maybe, if you can get close enough, you will be able to figure out what I am.” He stated decisively before standing up. “But, that will be your call to make.” He murmured, turning and walking away.

“I’m in.” Astero grinned eagerly.

Magdiana sighed, grabbing her neck and making a painful looking gesture. "I'm in so long as he doesn't use the rigging to strangle me."

“No strangling.” Wake chuckled, turning to face them for a moment. “There is no reason to do that. Far too impersonal.” He laughed a little harder. “If you want to get stronger, then, meet me on the ship the day after tomorrow at dawn.” He told them.

Magdiana nodded. "Deal."

“Deal.” Astero said, in near perfect unison.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.” Wake chuckled, leaving them to their own devices.

"So, get a job, play with Jacob. Sleep. Get my ass kicked… correction… get our asses kicked. Repeat." She laughed.

Astero laughed as well. “Seems that way. At least, we will be kept busy.”

"House. House. House." She repeated quietly, thinking about the end goal.

Astero took a deep breath and took a sip of his drink. “We got this.” He said confidently. “We will just hurt more than usual.” He frowned, thinking about what Wake might be able to do. “Mag… we just agreed that we would fight a guy without any idea of what he is capable of doing. What the fuck is wrong with us?” He asked her seriously.

She sighed heavily. "As… we were kinda… indoctrinated into this. You can't tell me it doesn't excite you a little bit. Moreover, I trust him. The King trusted him to get us out of Yutan."

“Yeah, it does, and I do trust him even if he is an ass.” Astero sighed, taking a drink. “So, are we oversharing or what?” He asked with a chuckle.

She took a drink of her daquiri. "Where do we even start?"

He shook his head at her. “I have no fucking clue.” He chuckled. “We already learned a good bit about each other earlier. What else can we learn?” Astero asked her.

"When our lives have settled down and things are less crazy, where do you see yourself?" She'd asked quietly, looking him steadily in the eyes.

Astero looked back at her, and thought it over. It wasn’t something he had actually thought about. “I don’t know.” He said honestly. “Maybe being a chef or a baker, I know I can do that, so I might as well use it.” He shrugged.

Her eyes were closed as she thought for a moment. "I can't say what I'm doing or who I'm with, but I have this sort of vision in my head. It just feels… happy. Like family."

“That sounds nice.” He smiled at her. “Peaceful.” He chuckled, thinking of a question to ask. “What do you think you would be doing if you didn’t get taken?” He asked her.

"Honestly, I'd probably be a full cleric. The rogue thing doesn't strike me as something my parents would've taught me. I think the rest would be similar. Maybe, without the poisons." She shrugged. "Might've passed geography."

“Maybe.” He chuckled. “I would have been a wizard then, something magicky.” He chuckled.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asked out of nowhere. It felt like word vomit. It was.

“I thought I was with Anne, but it was the idea of her I was in love with. So, no.” He replied quickly.

She nodded, responding with a whisper. "I'm sorry."

“Don’t be. You did nothing wrong.” He replied, looking her over. “Do you have any tattoos?” he asked.

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed one of them." She giggled, taking a drink and turning around. An arm reached around to point to her shoulder blade. "It's right here."

He tilted his head to the side. “Huh, guess I just never looked.” He chuckled. “So, where are the rest?”

"I've got a couple on my legs." She responded. "Nothing major. You?"

“Okay. Makes sense.” He nodded. “Uh, yeah, it’s on my back. A pretty big one too.” He said, pointing to the area above his shoulder blades and down most of his back. “It took a while to do.” He winced slightly.

"I couldn't do that. I'm way too wiggly." She laughed. "I've got a serious one that will make you laugh."

“Go on.” He grinned at her.

She nodded. "Alright. Marry. Fuck. Kill. You know the rules right?"

“Duh. It was commonplace among the guys at school.” He chuckled.

"Jackson. Wake. And the elder's son that we knocked out." She laughed.

Astero shook his head at her. “Okay. First of all, I don’t care for any of them. Secondly, I would kill Jackson, fuck the son, and marry Wake.” He said quickly.

"I honestly just wanted to see your reaction to those three." She laughed. "Anne. My former best friend, and me?"

“Fuck… Okay that is a hard one.” He hummed, thinking it over. “I would probably kill your best friend. Fuck Anne, and marry you.” He said honestly.

"Huh. I guess I didn't realize you held me in such high regards. Expected to be fucked or killed." She commented.

“Nah. Killing you would be a chore and a half, and your friend was a right cunt. I did like Anne for a bit, but it wouldn’t have worked out no matter which way you look at it.” He offered as explanation before taking a drink.

She took a drink. "Your turn."

“Okay. Wake, Jackson, and me?” He asked her curiously.

"Well, I'm not catching whatever Jackson has, so I'm killing him. But, damn… that's hard… I guess I'd have to fuck Wake and marry you." She smirked, turning red.

“Aww. I'm flattered.” He chuckled, seeing her face change color.

She started to sound defensive. "Yeah, well, Wake is already a married man, so…"

Astero raised an eyebrow at her, and sat back after a moment. “Holy shit… you have a crush on me…” He said flabbergasted.

"I did not say that." Magdiana said quietly.

“No… but you have been asking all these questions, and grinning slightly everytime I answer the ones you like.” He murmured still shocked. “How long have you had a crush on me?” He asked seriously.

Magdiana thought for a minute. "As… I don't want to ruin what we have…"

“And, you won’t.” He said simply. “I just want to know.” 

"I- it was around the time you were dating Anne, I guess." She blushed, taking a long drink and looking away.

Astero sat back, and took a long drink as well. He needed it after that revelation. The two went quiet for a minute before he broke the silence. “Why me?” He asked her intently. “Gods only know that there were plenty of other guys who were better.”

Magdiana looked into her drink for a long time. She knew the answer, but she was afraid for him to know. She sighed, eventually, deciding to just tell him. "Because I feel most alive with you."

“Most alive?” He quietly asked.

"Like… everything can be dull and grey, but, then, life is exhilarating." She said quietly. "I'm sorry. This is stupid. Forget I said anything."

Astero was quiet for a long moment, thinking over her words. “I- I can’t say that I feel the same way about you… But, I do get that feeling around you too.” He agreed, seeing her look upset. “I’m glad that you told me.” He said honestly. “It must have been a dream come true to run away with me then” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Living nightmare, more like." She replied. "Thought that one of us… maybe both of us… were going to die."

“But, we didn't. Here we are.” Astero smiled, waving around them. “And, that was thanks to you.” he smiled.

"You helped." She said. "A lot."

“You were the one who broke into the house, and got us the gold we didn’t use.” He chuckled bitterly. “Most of the time I just followed you.” He told her honestly, feeling a bit useless.

She shook her head. "If you think I would be here without you, you're wrong. Once again, I would've died."

Astero stood up, and moved around the table to sit beside her. “I know I gave you warmth, and got you through the night.” He sighed a little, looking into her eyes. “But, I also know two things. One, you are, without a doubt, the most stubborn woman I have ever met. You will not give up, even when you get her ass handed to you. Secondly, you have a god on your side.” He deadpanned. “I doubt they would have let you die to something as stupid as the cold.” 

"As? No offense, but you're way too close, my hopes are too high, and my drink is way too empty for this at the moment." She told him quietly, closing her eyes against the emotions he brought her by being in such close quarters. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, and moved to the other side of the table. “You’re fine.” Astero murmured, finishing his drink. “Might have pushed a little too far with those last few questions.” He said quietly.

"I… understand if you don't want to do any of the things we talked about today." She whispered sadly as defeat washed over her like a cold wave of water in Yutan’s weather.

He looked up at her, and shook his head. “No, I am a man of word.” He resolved. “It will just be odd, knowing that the girl who is living with me, likes me.” He chuckled.

She nodded. "I never meant to share this. I don't expect anything. I never did."

“Neither did I,” He sighed. “But it is what it is. We will work through this regardless.” 

"You better not hold back during spars." She threatened.

He chuckled at her. “Oh, gods, no. If anything, I’m done holding back now.” He said seriously. “I am going to make sure you know what you’re in for.” He chuckled.

She cocked her head to the side. "Please, don't make it sound like you're ever going to agree to be a thing. I think I'd rather just be disappointed than feel false hope."

“I’ll be completely honest. I have no clue. Up until last night, I’ve thought of you as a rival.  
And, today, a friend.” He said seriously, looking directly at her. “I have never thought of you in that way before, and I might never… but it might happen. I’m willing to, at least, try to keep an open mind.” He said seriously. “Not right away. We have other things to worry about first, like Wake and jobs, but I will give it a shot.” He smiled at her.

She nodded, and reached out a hand to hold his. She squeezed it once before letting go. "Thank you." She said. "I need more alcohol. That was nerve wracking."

He chuckled at her. “You’re welcome.” He softly replied before he stood up and placed a few coins on the table. “Here. Please don’t drink yourself stupid.” He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “In the meantime, I’m going to go to bed… I need to think about a few things.” He chuckled at her. “I will see you when we fight Wake. Okay?” He asked with a smile.

"Yeah. See you then." She nodded, flagging down the waitress and ordering another round. "Night."

“Night.” Astero nodded, turning and making his way up to his room. He walked inside and damn near collapsed on the bed. Thank the gods he was good at keeping a straight face. He sighed deeply into his pillow before he turned around and face palmed, dragging his hands down and staring at the ceiling. “What. The. Fuck. Astero.” He sighed. “You have just made things way more complicated than they needed to be.” He wasn’t sure why he’d said that. Maybe, it was because he thought he needed to help everyone no matter the situation. He wasn’t sure, but he knew it had something to do with Mag. 

They had fought for decades, and, the whole time, they always made sure the other was cared for. If they hurt the other, they would make sure that the other was healed, Mag usually being the one to do the healing. Astero thought about this, thinking of all the times she had healed him, and about what she had said earlier about their first kiss. It was sweet of her to do that for him, and he was glad she’d done it. Those were some of his darkest days, and she had kept him going. 

Astero thought about Mag’s words throughout most of the night, trying to think if he thought the same way about her. She wasn’t bad looking by any means. Hells, most of the guys at school thought that she was in the top ten of the hottest girls. He knew this already, but it wasn’t about looks. He was thinking more about her attitude. She was a fighter, like him. Not in the actual sense, but in mind set. When she faced an obstacle she couldn’t overcome, she thought of a way around it. Like what he did. He let out a long sigh when he realized just how much the two of them had actually rubbed off on one another over the years. They knew so much about the other that they even knew how the other was feeling at any given time.

It was something he’d wanted with Anne, but could never get. She was just in it for his popularity, and that’s what had caused their downfall. Mag, on the other hand, not only knew what he was doing, but could tell how he was feeling as well. He was shocked that she could tell that by movements alone. He smiled when he thought of all the small gestures of comfort she had given over the years, and, then, frowned when he realized the meaning behind it. He needed to give her the chance, she deserved it after everything they had been through together. He sat up in his bed, happy with his answer. He could think of her as more than a friend, it just might take him some time to get there. He looked at the window, and saw the sun starting to rise. He shook his head, and sighed deeply. He was going to sleep in today. He figured he would need all the rest he could get to beat Wake.

Magdiana received her drink, and sighed. She drank deeply. She never meant for this to happen. She had been content to just stay Astero's… whatever. Friend… nothing quite fit right. Rival wasn't bad. Friend felt strange. She didn't want things to change. At least, the way things were, she got to see him everyday. She looked into her drink, and took a deep breath. Just as she was about to sigh again, something red appeared in her vision. "Hey, Raze." She whispered.

"Mag." The woman greeted quietly.

"You hear everything in this place, don't you?" Magdiana asked, already knowing the answer.

Raze nodded once. "Are you okay?"

Magdiana shrugged, finishing her drink in one gulp. "No, but I will be." She left the coins that Astero had placed on the table. "Good night."

"Good night, dear." The woman smiled, standing up, and retrieving her spouse before pushing him out the door along with the young woman. "Be a darling and get her home. She looks sauced." The woman ordered before retreating back into the building.

Magdiana and Wake walked quietly to her parent’s house, and, when they made it within viewing distance, she stopped. "You were wrong, Wake." She didn't wait for him to respond before walking away. 

He stopped and watched her walk into the house. He sighed deeply and looked in the direction she went. “You have no idea how wrong I was.” He spoke softly into the darkness before he turned and began to walk back towards The Rook. “I doubt even The King knew that this was going to happen, and he saw most of this coming.” Wake sighed, going back to his wife and sleeping for the night.


	5. Overloaded

Magdiana slept fitfully. Thankfully, nobody woke her up during the night, but she tossed and turned, having multiple nightmares that had her waking up in a cold sweat come morning. Finally, she gave up. She was awake. She took a shower, and started her usual stretches, working out in the front yard again. As she had the previous day, Eri called her inside when breakfast was ready. Magdiana didn't say a word as she walked in. She just pulled her mother into a crushing hug. "I love you, Mom."

Eri was a little taken aback by Magdiana's sudden hug, but she hugged her daughter back comfortingly. "I love you, too." She whispered.

"Sorry." Magdiana mumbled. "Just kinda had a rough night. I'm fine." Without another word, she walked to the table and started in on her breakfast. After she was done eating, she looked between her parents. "I'm going to go look for a job today. If I don't find something to do, before long, I'm going to start getting in trouble." She looked to Jacob. "And, I'll actually pick you up from school today. Sorry about yesterday."

“It’s okay, sis. Wake told me you were busy.” Jacob said with a small smile. “Wake got to tell me some stories about while he was at sea.” He smiled wider now. “Wake is so cool!” He enthused giddily.

Eri smiled at her son. “Jacob, calm down.” She sighed before turning to her oldest child. “A job?” She asked curiously. “We don’t mind giving you money, dear, but, if you're certain, we won’t stop you.” She said honestly to her, looking a little lost.

Marius looked to Eri, and, then, to Magdiana. “We won’t stop you. If anything, we will help you. All you've got to do is ask with anything at all.” He smiled at his daughter.

"To be honest, I'm kind of bored." Magdiana said. "I had stuff to do in Yutan. I don't have that here, yet. And, some spending money would be nice sometimes. I don't want to keep asking for it when I can earn it."

Marius smiled. “That makes sense. Going from a life of constant movement to a halt is a jarring one. I get it. We've been there.” He sighed. 

Eri nodded as well, sighing as she did so. “I went from being a Master Sergeant in the military, to a wife and mother. It was… hard... to get used to everything.” She sighed deeply again. “But, we got through it.” She added, a smile taking her face.

“Yes, dear.” Marius smiled at her. “You are, and always will be, a badass.” He chuckled.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at his parents. “But, I thought Dad was in the military. Not mom.” He asked with an odd look about him.

Marius looked to Jacob. “Your Mom, was much stronger than me. She still is.” He said seriously. “She was the only one to ever beat Wake in a one on one fight that I know of.” He smiled at Eri.

“Oh, stop it.” Eri waved him off. “He’s a glass cannon. Good for a few moments, then done.” She smirked.

"What can Wake do, anyway?" Magdiana asked. "I know he cast a spell on the ship, but that's it."

Eri and Marius turned to look at her at the same time. “Spell on the ship?” They asked in unison.

"He can control the rigging with his mind or something. It's crazy." She enthused.

Marius looked to Eri. “Since when was he able to do something like that?” He asked her seriously.

Eri looked back at Marius confused. “Well, he never really stopped doing his thing after we settled down. So, I guess, he learned some new things.” She mused for a moment before looking to Mag. “Wake is a lot like your father, except he gets his powers from a different source.” She explained to her. “Without going into the details, he made a deal.” She explained, oversimplifying the process.

“Yeah, he can smite like me, but has some extra things as well. We don’t even understand it all.” Marius sighed. “He really is weird.”

"Oh, gods, I'm going to get my teeth kicked in tomorrow." Magdiana mumbled wearily.

“Uh, what!?” Eri asked seriously. “What do you mean ‘get your teeth kicked in’? Are you fighting Wake or something? Why would you fight him? He is a married man, and should not fighting my children!” She grumbled quickly and furiously, going into overprotective mother mode.

Marius sighed, and facepalmed. He looked over to Magdiana with a face that asked, 'Are you fucking kidding me?'. He stood up, and pulled Eri close to him, trying to calm her down. “Eri. Eri. Eri. Please just breathe.” He murmured calmingly. “Mag probably has a pretty good reason for wanting to fight Wake. Right?” He asked, turning to look at his daughter. He was also curious, wanting an explanation for her odd decision.

"Huh. I didn't expect that reaction. Astero and I are kinda stagnant as far as sparring with one another, so Wake offered to help since I didn't think Dad would be willing to hurt me." She responded honestly.

Marius sighed, and nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn't have the wherewithal to do it. Your friend, oh yeah, he'a fair game, but I wouldn't be able to hit you.” He said honestly. 

Eri sighed deeply, looking to Marius and Magdiana. “Your father always was a softy. If you're going to fight him, just know, he likes to play dirty, and he will do whatever is necessary to win.” She laid it all out simply for Mag. “And, if you or your friend Astero need healing, please come to me. I will make sure you two are right as rain afterwards.” She sighed lightly. “Okay?”

"Tomorrow is going to hurt. Isn't it?" She winced. "And, of course, I'll come to you for healing. You're going to have to convince As, though. He's… parents are a sensitive subject."

Eri thought it over for a moment before she looked to Magdiana again. “Then, why don’t I just come with you, then?” She offered seriously. “Can’t really say no, if he doesn’t have a choice.” She chuckled before taking a small bite of toast. “And, Mag. It's going to hurt a lot. Like I said, he literally can’t hold back, so expect pain.” She winced.

"Well, I guess he can't say no if you just so happen to show up." Magdiana whispered conspiratorially.

“Well, then, I guess that settles it then. I will just take my 10 kilometer jog earlier in the day tomorrow.” Eri smiled at her daughter. “Just depends on how early.”

Marius looked at the two of them, and shivered. “You two are so alike it's terrifying.” He grumbled, looking to Jacob. “It's a good thing I have you on my side. Right?” He asked his son with a smile to keep him involved in the conversation.

Jacob nodded, and saluted his father. “Yup.” He said with a big smile.

"What was it that tipped you off? The 10 kilometer jog or the sneaky helpfulness?" Magdiana laughed.

“Well, I do actually take a jog when everyone is out of the house, so it really is nothing. But, to answer your question, the helpfulness.” Eri smiled back at her.

"Hey, he doesn't have to know we planned it, right?" Her voice got darker, and a little bit more threatening.

“Your friend?” Eri asked curiously a smile wide on her face.

Magdiana nodded. "Yep."

“Planned what?” Eri asked, looking puzzled, but a grin came across her face a moment later.

Magdiana nodded. "I don't know. So, anyway, do you know any remedies places that might need some extra hands?"

“There is a place in town that does get pretty busy around this time of year. I would check there first.” Eri smiled at her daughter.

"That would be great! I really don't want to wait tables in a bar or something." Magdiana glowered darkly. "One person touches me, and they're getting stabbed. Then, I'm the one going to jail."

Eri took a sip of her drink. “Only if you get caught.” She said with a slurp.

She laughed. "Oh, if someone touches me when I don't want them to, everyone within shouting distance will know it."

Eri smiled, and shrugged. “I have no qualms with it. Just not my preferred method.” She chuckled.

"Well, my preferred method is a good bit more brutal than should be mentioned at the breakfast table." Magdiana winked. "But, needless to say, there's going to be a scene."

“It’s fine, dear.” Eri smiled, and winked back. “But, for now, go and see if that place will hire you, and, when you get the job, be sure to pick up Jacob.” She smiled.

"Will do." She smiled, standing up. "Uh, where do I go?"

“It’s down the street from where your father works. You can’t miss it.” She smiled back at her daughter.

Magdiana nodded. "If you don't mind, I'll just go with you…. Dad. I don't want to get lost. This place is huge compared to Evermore." She struggled to get the term of endearment past her lips. It was just too strange still.

Marius nodded, bringing his plate to the sink before he looked to his daughter. “That's fine by me.” He smiled, and looked down to Jacob. “You ready, champ?” He asked.

“Yup.” Jacob enthused quickly running to get his bag and returning a moment later. “Ready!”

“Then, let's head off.” Marius smiled to Magdiana.

"What do you want to do when we get back tonight, Jacob?" Magdiana asked her brother actually feeling a little excited by the prospect.

Jacob looked to his Mom, and, then, leaned in to whisper into Magdiana’s pointed ear conspiratorially. “Daggers.” He said simply.

Magdiana laughed. "Figures. Come on. The sooner we get there. The sooner we get home."

“Okay!” Jacob exclaimed, sprinting out the door.

Maruis sighed, and watched as Jacob was by the gate in an instant. He turned to Magdiana. “He wanted to see the daggers. Didn’t he?” He asked her at a whisper, shutting the door behind him.

"How did you ever guess?" She snarked.

“Call it a hunch.” He sighed, moving to catch up with the near sprinting boy. “Jacob, slow down!”

"He's going to be ridiculous if he gets the magicky bullshit." She muttered.

Marius chuckled hard when she said that. “Oh, I am dreading the day.” He said honestly.

"There's a pretty good chance, isn't there? If I got it…?" She trailed off.

“Dreading… the day.” He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as he said that.

"Well, I didn't get it until like two tenday ago, so there's hope he'll make it through puberty first." She laughed.

Marius laughed. “If he goes through puberty and getting magic at the same time, we may not have a house afterwards.” He chuckled.

"Hey, I haven't blown anything up yet, so consider it a win." She laughed. "Haven't done much other than heal and make my eyes glow funny, though. So, it could happen."

Marius put an arm around her, and pulled her close. “Thank you for being an optimist.” He smiled at her. “I just hope Jacob, comes out half as good as you.”

"Thanks, Dad. I'm a pretty shitty person, though, so don't get your hopes too high." She winked.

“You are just like your mother.” He chuckled, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

She smiled. "You think this place will actually take someone from the middle of nowhere to work for them?"

“Did you make those piosions by yourself?” He asked her in response.

"The manufacturable ones, yeah. Can't exactly make carillon crawler mucus." She cringed.

“Then, you will get the job.” He smiled at her. “The shop doesn’t have that great of a supply, so you might get a few promotions in short order.” He explained to her.

She nodded. "I feel only slightly less nervous."

“Okay, then. How about this,” He paused for a moment to make sure that she was listening. “So long as you know how to make simple remedies. You will get hired. The only reason they are still in business is because they are the only one in town, shockingly enough.” He told her seriously.

"Alright. Well, I guess, here goes nothing." She laughed.

“Quit talking, and hurry up!” Jacob yelled from ahead of them. “I want to throw blades!”

She laughed. "With that attitude, you'll be learning to hone it instead of use them today!"

“Yes!” He nearly shrieked, jumping with joy. “I can’t wait!”

"I really wish I knew whether I was this excited about pointy objects when I was his age." She muttered.

“Well, have you asked your friend?” Marius asked her. “He would be the best one to ask.” He explained seriously.

She sighed. "I can't ask him right now…"

“Why is that? Did you get into a fight or something?” He asked her curiously.

She sighed. "It's… complicated."

Marius raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t want to press further. “Well, I’m sure you two will figure it out whatever it is.” He smiled at her reassuringly.

"I hope so. It's weird right now." She sighed again, wiping her face with her hand in frustration.

“Okay, then. Well, I have a feeling it will get better. Things have been going great for us so far.” He smiled.

She shook her head. "Nope, still weird. I'm just really good at faking it."

“Well, then, let me give you a bit of advice. Don’t fake it too much. Otherwise, you will grow used to it.” He said, rubbing her back. “Trust me. It sucks.”

"Honestly, it's just the 'Mom' and 'Dad' thing… I don't want to call you Marius. That's even weirder." She huffed, frowning and having her eyes water. "I shouldn't be calling my real parents by their first names."

Marius pulled her in for a hug. “Hey, don’t worry. It will get better. And, between you and me, this family is weird. Have you met us?” He chuckled.

"I am part of the us you just mentioned. So, yes, I have." She laughed.

“Come on. Let’s get your brother to school before he starts dragging us.” He smiled, and jogged a bit to catch up.

Marius and Magdiana dropped the boy off before heading towards the two businesses. Magdiana gave her father a quick hug before heading into the shop. She glanced around briefly, finding a shop keep and greeting him. "Hello." She said quietly.

“Hello, miss.” A tired human replied, looking her over curiously. “How can I help you?”

"Actually, I was wondering if I could help you." She said with more confidence than she felt. "I just got here from Yutan, and I used to work in a place like this. I'm looking to, maybe, get a job."

The man looked her over for a moment, yawning tiredly before taking a sip out of a nearby mug on the counter. “Do you know how to make a healing potion?” he asked.

"Yes." She responded affirmatively.

“And, do you know how to make other potions?” He asked, looking a little more intently at her.

"Herbal remedies and poisons are my wheelhouse, but I can make a few potions. Healing and water walking, mostly." She explained.

He stood up straight now, and looked her over one more time. “Well, if you’re as good as you say you are, I will want to see some proof.” He determined, beginning to walk to the back. “Follow me.”

She nodded, and followed without question. "What's your name, by the way?"

“You can call me Charles.” He said, looking at her and stopping. Next to them was a small alchemy station. “Well, if you can make a healing potion, you’re hired.” He gestured to the station, starting to walk back out front to leave her to work.

"Which type?" She asked seriously before he could leave.

Charles was taken aback, turning to look at her with a look of surprise on his face. “Surprise me?” He asked curiously, stepping back to see if she really could do the job.

"Alright. Come back in a couple hours, then.* She told him, getting to work.

He left her to her business both intrigued and skeptical of her. He took a few glances to see her progress, but was told to leave every time. He shook his head and waited for her to come out of the back room.

When Magdiana was done, she returned with one glowing vial of red liquid. She placed it in front of him and said, "You didn't have the stock for superior or supreme so I made a greater."

He raised an eyebrow, and looked her over. He was impressed Charles waved a hand over the potion, and his eyes went wide. “You’re hired!” He announced, smiling. “You have no idea how bad we have needed someone who can make potions.” He deflated a bit. “It’s been so hard doing this all by myself.”

"I know what you mean. That was basically my sole job where I came from." She smiled. "When do I start?"

“How about tomorrow?” He asked her with pleading eyes.

She nodded. "Sure. What time? Not dawn, I hope?"

“Oh, gods, no!” He nearly gasped in horror. “Eight is fine.” He sighed. “I need sleep.”

She laughed. "Well, I'll see you then! Thank you."

“No, thank you!” Charles smiled at her. “I will see you tomorrow.”

She looked at the clock, and saw that there was plenty of time. She wanted to celebrate with Astero, but thought better of it. She didn’t want to force herself on him only to make it more awkward. So, instead, she decided to wander the streets until it was time to pick up Jacob. She milled about aimlessly until she found a clothing store that caught her eye, and spent a little bit more than she wanted to, to get everything she wanted. It was as she was walking out with arms laden full of bags that she rather gracelessly ran into a body. "Oh, I'm so sor- Oh, hey, As."

Astero shook his head a bit, and looked at the person who ran into him. “Oh, hey, Mag.” He greeted, putting on his best smile. “What are you up to?” He asked, looking at the bags she was holding.

"Spontaneous shopping. I want my own clothes, not my Mom's." She laughed.

“That makes sense.” He chuckled at her. “I certainly hope you haven't forgotten about your brother.” He said seriously.

"No. I was gonna go drop this off and pick him up before I literally bumped into you." She smiled. "Anyway, I'm sure you're busy. I'll let you get going."

“Good.” He smiled back. “Yeah, looking for a job. Just started, so it might be the rest of the day before I find one.” He chuckled. “See ya tomorrow.” He waved.

She waved. "Later."

Astero continued on a bit longer before letting out a sigh of relief. He had only been awake for less than an hour, and he had already run into the one who he had been thinking of all night long. He shook his head, and continued forward. He needed to find a job sooner rather than later. He walked around town aimlessly for a bit, not really sure what type of job he was looking for. He thought about being a guard, but thought that all the training and work would drag him down quickly. He then saw an offering for a bodyguard, but knew it would have similar issues.

He sighed deeply, and went to go get some food. It was already lunchtime, afterall. He walked into a small shop, and ordered a sandwich. He sat down, and waited for a moment. When the sandwich arrived, he thanked the woman, and took a bite only to spit it out a moment later. He looked into the sandwich and saw that the bread wasn’t done. He stood up, and marched to the counter sandwich in hand. “Excuse me, but who’s the one that made this?” He asked as nicely as he could muster with his growling stomach.

The woman who brought the sandwich went into the back, and brought out an older man. “How can I help you?” He asked gruffly. 

“Yeah, hi. Were you the one who made this?” He asked, pointing to the plate.

The man nodded. “Yeah. Why? Do you have a problem with it?” The chef asked, staring daggers at Astero.

“Yes, I do.” Astero nodded, staring back almost threateningly. 

“And, what is that?” The older man asked, looking over the young man who seemed unfazed by his attitude.

“Your bread isn’t fully cooked, and I’m pretty sure your cheese is going to expire soon as well.” Astero replied seriously.

The man scoffed. “Well, if you don’t like it. Why don’t you go in there and make it yourself?” He nodded towards the kitchen, stepping to the side to offer Astero entrance.

Astero smirked, and nodded. “Okay.” He said, walking past the man, and heading into the kitchen. He quickly looked around, and saw that the place was’nt in the best shape, but it was, at least, clean. He quickly moved to find a few fresh ingredients, and any bread that was actually cooked. Thankfully, there was one lone loaf of the good stuff. In short order, the kitchen had some pleasant smells coming from it, and Astero walked out with a sandwich. He sat down at the table, and took a bite. “Much better.” He smiled at the old man. “Thanks for the offer.”

The man and woman simply stood there, shocked by his quick skills. The man walked up, sitting across from Astero. “Where did you learn to cook?” He asked the younger man seriously. 

“Self taught, mostly.” Astero answered between bites. “Had a few people teach me a thing or two around a kitchen.” He explained, looking at the chef with a smile.

The man looked to Astero and, then, back to the woman. “Grace, I think we found someone.” He chuckled.

“Yup.” The woman smiled. “He’s pretty good.”

Astero set down his sandwich, and looked at the two curiously. “Found someone. For what?” He asked seriously, setting his hand on the dagger at his hip.

The older man shook his head. “No! Nothing like that!” He nearly yelled in surprise. “Kid, I am seventy-eight. I’m not fit to run a place like this. I want to, but I just can’t keep up.” He sighed. “Would you be willing to work here?” He asked Astero seriously. “Pay is good, and, the better you make the food, the more people come in. So, really, the harder you work, the more you make.” He told Astero bluntly.

Astero blinked for a moment he hadn’t thought about being a cook. He already liked doing it, so it would be just another day for him. “Yeah… I think I would.” He smiled.

The older man held out a hand to shake Astero’s. “Then, welcome aboard.” He congratulated Astero with a smile. “When can you start?” He asked, eager to see what the younger man was capable of.

“How about the day after tomorrow?” Astero asked him. “I have some previous arrangements, and will be busy then.” Astero smiled not telling the whole truth.

“That will work perfectly.” The man smiled. “And, what’s your name, boy?”

“Astero.” He replied with a growing grin with each passing second. “And, your name?”

“Call me Gordan.” The older man smiled back before slowly starting to make his way towards the kitchen again. “I’ll see you then, Astero.” 

Astero smiled, and made his leave, leaving his sandwich behind. He smiled as he walked. He found a job! He made his way back to The Rook, and began to start training for tomorrow. He had a big day ahead of him.

Magdiana picked up a very excited Jacob from school, and he bounced his way home as she answered the safe to answer questions he asked. When they made it to the house, she asked. "Do you have homework?"

Jacob frowned a bit. “Yeah... I have elvish homework.” He sighed, moving to go get his papers from his bag.

"Don't make that face. You're part elf. It's important to learn the language. You know how many people just randomly speak to me in elvish because I've got pointy ears?" She laughed.

“How many?” Jacob smiled, looking over her curiously.

"Well, I didn't count, but it was like a bazillion." She made a funny face, and put his pencil in his hand. "I'm going to get changed. When I come back, I'll check your work."

He sighed a bit, but nodded. “Okay. I will make sure to get as much right as possible.” He smiled, starting to work on his papers.

Magdiana unloaded her bags, and changed into a new set of clothes. These ones actually fit properly, were her style, and were also appropriate for the weather. When she came back out, Jacob was finishing his homework with one final flourish of the writing utensil. "Done?" She asked.

“Yeah, or I think so…” He murmured, looking at the page. “I think I might have messed up on a few questions, but I’m not sure where.” He looked up to his sister now. ”Could you help me?” He asked her.

"Of course." She glanced at the page, sitting down next to him. She pointed at one place. "Right here. The word is one letter off. Instead of saying dog, you said wolf. Big difference."

“Oh!” He exclaimed, seeing his mistake. He quickly fixed it, and checked the rest. “Okay. Now, I think I’m done.” He smiled at her, and handed her the paper to check.

She looked at it. "One more thing."

“Where?” He asked, looking over the paper curiously.

"You need to put your name on it, knucklehead." She laughed.

Jacob blushed, and quickly wrote his name on the paper. Once he was done, he took it to his bag, put it inside, and ran back. He looked around for any signs of his Mom before he looked up at his big sister. “Daggers now?” He asked her with pleading eyes.

"Yeah." She half-sighed. "But, we're going over safety stuff first, so don't get your hopes too high."

Jacob nodded, and sat down to listen intently to what she was about to say.

She stood up. "I know you want to see, so let's go out back. We'll walk and talk. First things first, you never point a weapon at something you don't want to hurt, maim, or kill."

He stood up, and followed her. “Okay. Don’t point a weapon at someone I don’t want to hurt.” He said, repeating it back.

"Next, if you want your weapon to do its job properly every time, you have to take care of it. A dull dagger… or any weapon for that matter… is a useless dagger." She kept going as she spoke. "Dad said you've been back here, right?"

He nodded at her words, but was repeating what she said. “Take care of the weapon. A dull dagger is a useless dagger.” He said, muttering to himself.

She got him to the clearing, and sat down in the center of it. She took out two of her daggers. "So, before you can get to this," She threw the dagger at a target, hitting the bullseye without looking. "You have to do this." Now, she showed him the many different grips one could hold a dagger with. 

Jacob watched intently as she held the dagger in many different ways. It looked liked he was trying to memorize each one, but he was having trouble.

"You don't have to worry about all of them. Everyone has a preference. I hold mine like this." She changed her grip. "But, Dad holds his like this." She changed it again. "And, my friend Astero holds it like this."

“How will I know which one is best for me?” He asked her unsure about which one he should use.

She placed the dagger perfectly balanced on a finger in front of her. "Pick it up."

Jacob’s hand trembled a bit as he gingerly grabbed the blade from her hand. He carefully looked it over with wide eyes. He, then, began to slowly move the dagger into one of the different positions before switching again. He did this for a few minutes before he finally settled on one he thought he felt was comfortable. “Okay.” He nodded, looking intently at his sister.

She grabbed her dagger the way he held his. "Take a step back, and feel how it's an extension of your arm and hand. Get nice and comfortable with it being there."

He did as he was told, and stepped back. He began to slowly move the dagger around himself, getting used to the weight more than anything else. He slowly began to move a bit faster, and looked to his sister. “Okay. I think I am ready for the next bit.”

Magdiana opened her mouth to speak, but she heard a twig snap nearby. Without thinking, she let loose two daggers in surprise, and, in her moment of defensive protective instinct, one of the daggers lit up with a golden hue. A moment later, she heard the sound of metal greeting flesh. She stepped in front of Jacob, blocking him from the view of the intruder.

A moment later, Marius took a step out from behind the bushes. He held his side, and had the two daggers in the other hand. “Nice shot.” He grunted.

"Dad!" Magdiana gasped, running over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked, grabbing onto him for support.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Getting stabbed is my favorite hobby.” He grunted sarcastically, sitting down on a nearby log. He saw Jacob looking pale as a ghost, and quickly healed himself. “Don’t worry, buddy. I’m fine. Your sister only scratched me, is all.” He smiled at his son.

Magdiana looked at the location of the former wound, noticing the amount of blood and winced. That was not a scratch. "Maybe, we should be done for the night. Also, don't surprise the rogue."

“I wasn’t trying to.” Marius whispered to her, standing up. He let out a little grunt as he straightened his torso, looking between his two children. “I was just walking. Also, let's not tell Mom. She’ll kill me if she finds out.”

"Mom is weird like that." Magdiana laughed, turning to Jacob. "We were building up to a dagger throw."

“Uh, yeah.” Jacob mumbled from behind her, following at a distance. His eyes kept drifting back to his father and the blood he could see on the shirt at his side.

Magdiana lined Jacob up with a target that was about the right height for him, and showed him the form for throwing a dagger that would be best for him. Once she'd helped him line up properly, she stepped back. "Whenever you're ready."

Jacob nervously looked at his sister and Dad. He looked to the target, and took a few deep breaths. He did a few practice swings before he finally threw the dagger. It flew threw the air straight as an arrow, but it didn’t have enough power behind it, and fell short about two feet, hitting the ground with a thunking sound. Jacob hung his head and sniffled before he began to cry. He looked to his Dad and then his sister before he ran to the house as fast as he could in defeat and dismay.

"Well, we're related alright." She commented, retrieving her weapons from the clearing. "I still have a power problem on the last throw. He just needs to get there."

Marius sighed, and looked at her. “He’s sad because he thinks you hate him, now.” He sighed, shaking his head. This wasn’t something Marius ever thought he’d have to explain. “He was looking forward to having a sister so much… He didn’t want to disappoint you. He heard a few things from Wake, and was starting to think that you were just impossible to keep up with.” He explained, walking up to Magdiana. “He will be fine. We both know this, but he needs to hear from you that you aren’t mad at him. Okay?”

"How could I even be mad? That was really good form for his age. It just needed more oomph." She commented. After a moment, she sighed. "I'll talk to him."

“Good.” Marius smiled at her. “And, yeah, it was good. Jacob has a good teacher. He’s just a lot like me. He likes instant gratification, and he tries to make sure he gets everything right the first time. He has trouble with failure.” Her father sighed.

She smirked. "The rogue life is failure. Well, until it isn't anymore."

“Yeah, I’ve met a few in my day.” He chuckled before he held his side again. “Sweet merciful Mask, that hurts. Good job on the smite.” He complimented, holding his side for a minute, and casting another healing spell.

"It doesn't help that I probably knicked an organ." She commented, touching his arm, and using her own healing. "Sorry."

He chuckled at her. “You're just like your mother, knicking the exact whereabouts of organs, and, then, healing them.” He groaned, feeling much better. “Thank you.” He smiled, rubbing her cheek. “Now, go apologize to your brother before Eri finds out.” He ordered, standing up.

She winced. "Fuck." She muttered before running off to catch Jacob. She finally found him a few minutes later in his room, crying into his pillow. "Hey, bro." She started.

Jacob looked up to her with red eyes, and, then, leaned back into the pillow to cry again. “I’m sorry I'm a bad brother.” His words came out muffled into the soft down.

She sat down in bed next to him. "Why do you think that, silly? For throwing a dagger the same as everyone does on their first try?"

“For not hitting the target like you.” He sniffled.

"Jacob," She started, taking a minute to choose her words. "It took me years of practice to get to where I am, and I promise you that I threw my first dagger the very same way that you did."

He looked up to her now. “Really?” He asked with wet eyes and a running nose.

"Really. In fact, I still have that problem." She told him. "I have fourteen daggers on me, and, every time I throw them all, one bounces right off the target."

Jacob looked a little confused at her. “Do you know why?” He asked her curiously.

"I do, but it's a bad habit that takes years sometimes to fix. I still have a ways to go to fix it." She assured him.

“So, you think I will be able to do that one day too?” He asked her hopefully. His arm wiped tears away, looking much less red in an instant. 

She nodded. "That all depends on you. You might decide you like swords better."

He looked up at her for a moment, and wiped his face clean some more. “Will you keep teaching me?” He asked her smiling slightly.

"Of course, I will." She nudged him. "I would've kept teaching you today if you'd have let me, you goober."

He gave her a big hug, squeezing her tightly. “Thank you.” He whispered into her.

She hugged him back. "You're welcome. Now, I can smell dinner. You should get cleaned up because I'm starving and have to be up before dawn tomorrow."

Jacob smiled and nodded, moving to the bathroom to wash up for dinner.

Magdiana ruffled her brother's hair, washing her hands and joining the family for dinner. She sat down, and smiled. "I got the job."

Marius came into the room wearing a new shirt. “Good job!” He smiled at her.

Eri placed trays of food on the table and sat herself down. "That's great." She said, grabbing Jacob's plate, and loading it with a bit of everything. "I want to see you eat at least three bites of the veggies." She warned.

Jacob sighed, and looked at his Mom. “Fine.” He said, playing with a piece of broccoli with his fork before taking a bite and frowning at the taste.

Magdiana giggled. "Bro, if you don't eat veggies, you're gonna wind up skinnier than me. You can't fight like that. You know how hard it is, being so small and trying to take down an opponent bigger than you?"

Jacob looked at his sister, and, then to the veggies, he made a face, beginning to eat them with a newfound vigor.

Eri looked at Magdiana in awe. "I have been trying to get him to eat them for years, and you get him to do it in three days!" She gave Mag a hug. "You're an angel." Eri smiled at her.

"Hey, I'm only telling the truth. I have a really hard time with takedowns. To get Astero off his feet, I had to learn some serious acrobatics." She smiled. "I'll show you sometime."

“That would be cool!” Jacob enthused. “And, who's Astero?” He asked her curiously.

"Astero is my friend from Yutan who came here with me, but I'll show you on Dad when he's up for being tossed around by a girl." She laughed.

Marius didn’t say anything for a minute, and simply looked at Eri. “I already get enough of that. I will pass.” He chuckled.

“Marius!” Eri exclaimed, turning red in the process. She calmly turned to Magdiana. “You have my full permission to throw him across the house if you want.” She smirked.

Magdiana smiled. "Maybe the yard, but not the house."

“Do it! Do it! Do It!” Jacob chanted, looking at as his sister intently.

Marius placed his head in his hands, and sighed. “Today is just not my day.” He mumbled from behind his hands.

“You brought this upon yourself dear.” Eri said with a threatening look. “Really it’s like you like this stuff.” She shrugged.

"Maybe before dinner tomorrow. I don't want you to hurl." Magdiana laughed.

Marius looked at Magdiana quizzically. “How far can you throw a person?” He asked seriously.

"You? I don't know… Somewhere in the five to ten foot range, maybe? Astero's a bit burlier." She shrugged.

“Great… My daughter is basically a one person army.” he sighed deeply.

She shook her head. "You could beat me. That's not an army."

“I give you a year, then. Two tops. If you are training with Wake, he will make damn sure that you will be able to beat me.” Marius deadpanned.

"I mean, I'm not trying to be stronger than you, but, yeah, I'm not going to stop training." She told him.

“I figured as much.” He chuckled at her. “Just like your Mom.” He looked to his wife, now.

Eri looked back at Marius, and shook her head. “I still haven’t heard a sorry from you, and you will want to make it quick, especially if Mag and myself are going to be out of here before you two.” She demanded, looking at the clock.

Marius sighed, and leaned over to give her a kiss. “I'm sorry that I say private things.” He whispered to her.

“Good.” Eri smiled at him before looking to Magdiana. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” She asked seriously.

"As ready as I'm going to get." She answered honestly. "Just need a good night's sleep."

Eri nodded at her. “Good.” She said with a smile. “Now, if you will excuse me, I will be heading to bed early. Need to make sure I have my things in order before I go for my ‘jog’.” She smiled, leaving the room and disappearing for the night.

Magdiana nodded as well. "Basically the same here. Night, Jacob. Enjoy the dog house, Dad."

“Night!” Jacob smiled.

“Night.” Marius sighed, but gave her a small smile. “Hope everything goes well for you tomorrow.”

"Thanks. Have a good day." She stalked off to bed with a yawn.

Marius waved her off, and enjoyed the remains of dinner with Jacob. When they were both finished, Marius took the family’s plates, and quietly did the dishes. Once those were done, he brought Jacob to bed, and tucked him in. When he got to his bedroom, Marius saw Eri getting the last of her things together before lying down in bed. He laid down next to her, and gave her a light kiss on the head. “Goodnight, dear. Sleep well. Please don’t sink Wake’s ship.” He whispered, moving under the blanket, and taking out a book to read.

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” She yawned. “I’m more worried about Mag’s friend. I hope that goes well.” She murmured, closing her eyes.

“It will.” He assured her in a soft voice.

“Thank you.” She mumbled before quickly falling asleep.

Astero trained throughout the night. He knew he was going to regret this fight. He wanted to get some sleep, but his mind had been racing. He wasn’t sure what Wake was capable of, but he knew it was going to suck. He was excited about the fight in a way; the prospect of getting stronger was an alluring one, but he was also nervous. He had fought against Magdiana for decades, but never with her. And, with what they had talked about the other night, he was hoping all was going to work out well in the end. He was also really excited about the new job. It would give him the chance to cook and bake more often, and he was getting paid to do it. It was a win, win for him.

He eventually got dressed, and made his way down and out of The Rook. He walked for several minutes, and waited by the ship for Magdiana. He was in no real rush this morning. He was just antsy, and, the sooner the fight came, the better. A few short moments later, Astero saw Wake approaching the ship. “I thought for sure you would be here waiting for us already.” He commented, looking a little annoyed.

“What? You think that, just because I don't sleep, I won't spend a night with my wife?” Wake quipped, stopping just short of the gangplank. “And, where is your other half?” He asked, looking around for Magdiana.

“Sorry. I keep forgetting you’re married.” Astero sighed. “She’s probably still asleep, or, at the very least, waking up.”

"Hi." Magdiana said directly into Astero’s ear.

Astero jumped, and almost fell into the water, before he caught himself. He breathed heavily for a moment before looking her over. “Or... she’s trying to give me a heart attack!” He exclaimed, looking at her intently.

"I couldn't help myself." She let out a belly laugh, clutching her heaving stomach at the humor of it all. "It was kind of perfect."

“Of course, you would do that.” Astero sighed, and stood up, regaining his composure. “Well, here we are.” He announced to Wake, looking at Magdiana as he did so.

"Yep." She nodded. "Ready to get my ass kicked, and, then, go to work."

Astero nodded. “Same, but I work tomorrow. I figured I would need the rest.” He chuckled at Wake.

Wake laughed at the two of them, and walked up onto the ship. He turned around, and looked at them. “Alright, then. I will make the rules transparently clear. Once I get to the helm of the ship, you two can use any and all means to get to me. The second one of you hits me, training is over for the day. Just know, I will be using any means necessary to try to keep you at bay, and, if you get in close to me, I will not hesitate to knock your asses off of my ship. Do I make myself clear?” He asked threateningly, looking the two of them over intently.

“Yes, sir.” Astero said, summoning his greatsword.

"Yes, sir." Magdiana replied, looking at Astero and quietly muttering. "Game plan?"

“No clue. Let’s see what he can do first, and go from there.” He quietly replied back.

Wake chuckled at their plan, and looked the two of them over. “Go.” He called, vanishing into a cloud of mist, and appearing at the helm. Wake casually leaned against the wood there, smiling widely to himself. He was going to enjoy this. “Well… I'm waiting.”

Astero grunted, and began to walk onto the ship with sword still drawn. He looked around carefully before he began to charge towards Wake. After just one step of his foot, the rigging coiled itself around his leg, and dragged him back to the gangplank. “Fuck.” He groaned. He’d forgotten about the spell Wake had on the ship.

"Dude, we've gotta work together or we're screwed." Magdiana said, walking onto the ship to stand next to him. "We know all of each other's moves. We just have to figure out how to-. Ahh!" She was suddenly thrown from the ship, being tossed directly into Astero.

“I know that. I was trying to be a distraction while you threw a dagger at him.” He explained, pushing her off of him. He stood up, and looked around to see all the rigging now moving. It was a terrifying thing to see. He shivered a bit, and helped Mag to her feet. “Okay. I go right. You go left. Deal?” He asked her, keeping his eyes on the Captain.

"Deal." She muttered, running onto the ship, and taking a sharp left. She rolled out of the way of some ropes, and saw out of the corner of her eye Astero cutting it. That was actually a really good idea. She took out two of her daggers, and slashed at any rope that got in her way. It was when a mop bucket and mop started chasing her that she lost it, being thrown from the ship and landing flat on her back.

As Astero saw Mag go flying through the air, he saw that they were nowhere close to Wake. He sighed, and cast Fire Bolt, sending a mote of fire at the Captain. Wake waved a hand and a familiar aura of force interrupted the blast, sending it off into the distance. “Really?” He sighed at Wake.

“Yes, really.” Wake grinned back before pointing a finger at Astero. Four blasts of eldritch power came shooting out all of which hit Astero, and knocked him on his ass next to Magdiana.

"As?" Magdiana asked, getting up. 

“Yeah?” Astero grunted in frustration, getting heavily to his feet.

She looked at him critically. "Do you need healing?" She asked before adding. "And, do you think we can both get in front of the Captain's quarters?"

He looked at the Captain’s quarters, and looked back at her. “Yes, and yes. What do you have in mind?” He asked her, wiping away a bit of blood.

She grabbed his arm, and healed him quickly. "Get there. You duck. I jump up to where he is."

He nodded, and quickly dashed to the area. He dodged the ropes and rigging, and put his back to the Captain's door. He waited for her to make her move, nodding at her when he was ready.

She dashed after him, feeling badly as she used him as a platform to jump up to the helm, and, just as she was throwing her dagger at Wake, he summoned a sword out of nowhere, knocking the dagger away and, then, striking her back down onto the lower deck. "Fuck." She said, bleeding and clutching the wound.

Astero looked at her, and looked up to Wake. “Mag are you going to be okay?” He asked, trying to think of a way around all of this. “Also, how many daggers do you have left?” He worried aloud, looking at her. “I think I might have a plan.”

"Have only thrown the one " She said, healing herself and standing up. "Tell me."

“Well, that spell he hit me with was eldritch blast, which only one caster gets. Warlocks.” Astero smiled at her. “He doesn’t have many spell slots to use. We just need to keep making him use them.” He leaned in close to her. “You go get into position, and I will distract him. Okay?” He reasoned, looking to see if Wake was watching. “Just do your ‘blade lotus’ thing, and you are sure to hit him at least once.” He smiled a little, taking a few steps towards the corner before yelling and charging towards Wake.

"Son of a bitch." Magdiana muttered quickly darting into position. She saw only one problem with his plan. If she couldn't make a hit, she'd be without any weapons for the rest of the fight. She waited until Astero started to make his move before dashing closer and throwing all of her daggers. She almost couldn't look to see if it worked.

Wake watched as Astero ran head first at him, and sighed. “You’re not going to hit me.” He said, pointing a finger at the boy, and releasing the blasts again. As Astero was being launched up and off of the ship and into the water, he looked about to see where Magdiana was. Wake saw her jump up into the air, throwing all of the daggers on her person at him. He quickly waved his hand before the first dagger met, and the spell caused several of them to miss or bounce off of him. There was one problem, however. There were too many of them. As the daggers hit, each one would get closer and closer until the final one hit is mark, getting him in the arm. Wake winced at the small wound, and let a small smile of pride pull at his lips. “Good job. You completed the first day of training.” He yelled out to them.

“Yay.” Astero said, laying backwards in the water by the ship.

"Why do I get the sense that the next training is going to involve large explosions?" Magdiana asked with a small victorious smile.

“Oh, no. Not yet.“ Wake smirked at her. “There is still a ways to go before we get to those.” He chuckled. “I still want to be able to actually try.” He said with a toothy grin. Wake waved his hand, and the rigging moved to go and pick Astero out of the water, setting him upright on the deck of the ship.

“Thanks.” He said, blowing some wet hair out of his face.

“You’re welcome. You did beat the first trial after all.” Wake smiled.

"If that was you not trying, I'd hate to be the idiot that tries to fuck with your ship." She commented, looking at a still bleeding Astero, and her own wounds. "I don't have enough healing for the both of us."

Astero looked to her, and nodded. “I figured as much. That’s why I said I would go into work tomorrow.” He chuckled, standing up, and grunting as he did so. “Did you know water hurts when you hit it from 30 feet up?” He complained, holding his back.

She sighed, healing herself instead of him, "Didn't know, but could've made an educated guess. Can you Prestidigitate these clothes, please? There's blood all over them now."

“Yeah, give me a second.” Astero replied, drying himself off first, and, then, doing them same to her. “Better?” He asked her, seeing the blood disappear. 

"Much better. Thank you." She said, looking to Wake. “You're probably not in port for much longer, huh? Work and all that."

Wake nodded at her. “Yes, it will be a few days before I’m back again, so I expect you two to work together more often while I’m gone.” He commanded, pointing a finger at the two of them. “Put a puzzle together, play games, something to help you two comunicate. There wasn’t much during all of that.” He sighed a bit.

"We are better than it was… a month ago." Magdiana defended their honor.

“I don’t doubt that.” He said in a tone that sounded like approval. “I just want to see it be better by the time I get back.” Wake smiled and took a few steps forward. “Now, go and get to work or whatever you plan on doing.” He commanded as the rigging brought Magdiana’s daggers back. “The crew will be here soon, and we are leaving by the end of the day.” He explained, waving them off.

Astero sighed, and limped off of the ship. “Fine, clearly you have more pressing issues.” He chuckled, shaking his head. As he turned onto the docks, he ran into someone, and looked up to see a half-elven woman. “Oh, sorry ma’am. Didn’t see you there.” He apologized, trying to move around but getting stopped.

Eri looked over Astero, and quickly healed him up. “There you go. Do you feel better?” She asked him with a smile.

“Uh… yeah. Thank you, but why heal me?” He asked her curiously not knowing the woman was Magdiana’s mother.

“Well, I was just on my morning jog, and happened to see a fight occur. It would be wrong of me not to heal those who’re wounded.” Eri smiled at Astero before walking up to Magdiana, and healing her as well. “Isn’t that right, dear?” She smiled at her daughter.

Magdiana nodded. "I would do the same, if I could."

“You will, in time.” She smiled before turning back to Astero. “So… you must be Astero.” She said appraisingly, inspecting the young man by looking him up and down even walking around him a little bit.

Astero raised an eyebrow at her, and, then, at Magdiana. “Yes, Ma’am, and you are?” He replied suspiciously, putting a hand forward while his eyes cut towards Mag.

“My name is Eri. I’m Magdiana’s mother.” She smiled gripping Astero’s hand firmly. “Pleased to meet you.” She smiled.

Astero sighed a bit, and shook her hand back. “You as well.”

"I didn't know that your morning run brought you past the docks, Mom." Magdiana lied smoothly.

“Yeah, I like to smell the breeze in the morning. Really wakes you up, you know?” She smiled at Astero.

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Astero replied, looking more awkward now than when she had arrived. His eyes kept gravitating towards Mag’s, but she was pointedly ignoring him.

Wake looked at Eri, and, then, to the kids. He knew damn well what was happening. “Well, I'm glad you were around when you were Eri. These two ruffians needed some training. I might have roughed them up a bit.” He chuckled at the woman.

Eri glared at Wake with fire in her eyes. “Yeah, good thing. Huh. Wake?” She threatened.

Wake looked a little pale. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for being here… Anyways, The Raven is going to be leaving soon, so please get out of here before you scare my crew away.” He joked.

“Of course.” Eri smiled, putting an arm around Magdiana. “Let’s go, dear.” She smiled before looking at Astero. “Come on. I want to learn more about my daughter's friend.” She smiled at him.

"Alright, but I've got work at eight." Magdiana responded, following along. She wasn't expecting this, but she'd go along with it. "I really want to see you fight Wake, now." She said lowly.

Astero looked at Magdiana, and, then, looked to her mother. “You can fight?” He asked the woman curiously.

Eri chuckled. “Yes, and I'm pretty good at it too.” 

Astero looked over her for a moment, and thought. “I’m guessing you're cleric, so healing would be top priority. But, I'm not really seeing the fighting bit.” He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'm a shit cleric, so don't base anything you know off of what I can do." Magdiana laughed. "Apparently, she's beaten Wake before."

“Yes, I have, and not all clerics are healers. Just so you know.” Eri chuckled. “There are many domains to being a cleric. Each one is different.” She explained to the both of them.

"Yeah. I'm still figuring that out. I accidentally busted out a smite yesterday." She admitted, realizing she probably shouldn't have.

Eri and Astero looked to Magdiana and spoke in unison. “When?” They asked shocked.

"Uh… yesterday afternoon." She answered honestly, and vaguely.

Eri thought for a moment and sighed. “It was after Jacob got home… wasn’t it?” She facepalmed.

Magdiana sighed. "Dad scared me."

“Of course, he did.” Eri sighed, and looked to Astero. “Please be careful around her. She's still getting used to all of this.” She apologised in advance for her daughter.

Astero smiled at Eri. “Don’t worry. She doesn’t scare me.” He chuckled.

“Good.” She smiled at him. “I'm glad she has a friend like you then.”

“Thank you.” Astero replied dumbfounded, but smiled at her regardless.

"I'm glad someone's not scared of me." Magdiana admitted. "Even I'm scaring myself lately."

Astero looked at her. “I know what you're capable of. This will be easy for you.” He assured Magdiana in a soothing manner.

She nodded. "Thanks. It doesn't feel that way right now, but I appreciate it."

Eri smiled at her. “You'll be fine, sweetie.” She smiled at her before turning to Astero. “So, how long have you been friends with her?” She asked him, knowing very little about the boy.

“Oh. We have known each other for decades, but only recently have we actually had the chance to hang out and learn about each other.” He told her honestly.

“I heard.” She frowned a bit. “Just know that, what happened in Yutan, won’t happen here.” She told them comfortingly. “Asesh is a different place entirely.” 

“Yeah, with warm water.” He chuckled. “Would have stayed in the water for longer if Wake didn’t pull me out.” He smiled.

"I'm really excited to swim on purpose for once." Magdiana said, shivering as she remembered a couple of incidents with frozen over lakes that she'd been lucky to escape from.

“Don’t worry.” Astero replied. “It's nice.” He sighed, before realizing he had the day off. Actually, I'll probably do that later.” He said, thinking to himself.

Magdiana frowned a bit. "I'm jealous, but I'm also working today. Money is nice." She ended with a chuckle.

“Yeah. I start tomorrow. Where are you working?” He asked her curiously.

Magdiana pointed, "The herbal remedies shop down that way. Kinda stuck with what I know. You?"

He smiled a bit. “I'll be a cook at a small place down that way.” He said, pointing off into the distance. “They seem like nice people.”

"Well, I know where to go for lunch, then." She smiled. "I won't order anything with peanuts. Promise. Oh! By the way…" She tossed him a small pouch. "That's the stuff you need in case you have a reaction. Chew on it, and hold it under your tongue. If it doesn't get better, get a cleric… let me rephrase. Get a better cleric."

He smiled, and put the pouch away. “Thank you.” Astero turned to look at her, meeting Magdiana's gaze. “That means a lot, and, if that does happen, could you help with that?” He asked Eri.

Eri laughed. “Of course, dear, just come by the house, if you can. I'll be there. Do you know where the house is?” She asked him.

Astero nodded. “Yeah. I'm pretty sure I saw it.” He replied.

"Yeah, we went on a walk, and passed right by it." Magdiana smiled. "It's the one with all the flowers, and, thankfully, no lavenders."

Eri looked to Magdiana. “I never planted any because I'm allergic to them.” She told her. “I’m guessing you are, too.” She frowned a bit.

"It's not the 'could kill me' type of allergy, but very, very uncomfortable if I touch or smell it too closely." Magdiana shrugged. "Now, I know where that comes from."

“Yes, it's the same for me.” Eri chuckled before looking to Astero. “So, I guess you like to cook, then, given your job?” She asked him

He nodded. “Yeah, it's a fun hobby where I get to eat my work and, sometimes, mistakes too.” Attention chuckled as he realized he was actually enjoying himself. This wasn't what he imagined meeting Magdiana's parents to be like.

"It's only fun if your mistakes are still tasty." Magdiana laughed. "Some of my mistakes… we do not speak of."

“That ‘s why I said ‘sometimes’.” He chuckled. “It only took me one time, to mistake sugar and salt.” He laughed.

"Eugh." She shuddered. "Oh, no, As…"

“Yeah…” he sighed. “Those were the worst donuts ever.”

Eri shivered at the thought, but couldn't help herself. She laughed merrily. “Well, I'm glad you learned from it.”

“Yeah. Started labeling everything.” He laughed.

Magdiana nodded. "I think I remember that. I was wondering why all the things in your kitchen suddenly had labels… I mean… I was never in your house. Why are you asking?" She smirked innocently.

Astero sighed. “Figures you would have. Which would also explain why the paprika, and chili powder were switched… you bitch.” He accused, shaking his head.

"You lived. Didn't you?" She asked before sighing. "Okay, what did I fuck up?"

“It was the spiciest roast chicken I've ever made.” He chuckled.

"Damn. I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to go ham on the stuff." She laughed.

“I didn’t… it was really spicy chili powder.” He explained seriously.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Hey, I said I'm sorry. Do you want me to apologise to your digestive system, too?"

He chuckled at her. “No. It’s fine, like you said, I survived. Just don’t do it again.” 

"Didn't plan on it. My breaking in and pranking days are over. Too many people here to catch me. Yutan was much smaller." She promised.

“Good.” He smiled at her.

Eri looked at the two of them with a smile, and decided to leave them to their business. “Alright, I still need to finish this jog, and go clean up your brother's room. So, I will see you for dinner later.” She smiled and gave Magdiana a hug. “It was nice meeting you Astero.”

“It was nice to meet you too.” He smiled back.

"Sorry." Magdiana mumbled once her mother was out of earshot. "I shouldn't have…" She trailed off.

“Shouldn’t have what?” He asked her curiously.

Magdiana frowned, blushing as well. "I told my parents I was fighting with Wake this morning.'

Astero sighed a bit, and looked her over. “We aren’t hurt anymore. Right?” He asked, looking her over seriously.

"Yeah, but… I feel like I lied or something." She admitted.

“Then, don’t worry about it.” He told her honestly. “If you didn’t, you would go into work, and probably wouldn't do so well on your first day.” He explained to her. “It was the right call.”

"I would've done fine, but…" She sighed. "I was worried about you."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Why do you think I said I was starting work tomorrow?” He asked her rhetorically. “I knew I would be sore, so I thought ahead.” He smiled.

"I didn't know that you were going to wait until tomorrow when I arranged it." She told him.

“Then, stop apologizing, woman.” He ordered firmly. “Everything is fine. Now, go get to work.” He laughed at her. “I have recipes I need to write down.” He chuckled.

"Yeah, apparently, I'm potion lady now." She rolled her eyes. "I make those too, but not as well."

He chuckled at her. “You’ll be fine.” He smiled.

"Yeah. Thanks!" She smiled. "See ya, As." She ran off.

“Later, Mag.” He waved as she left, and began walking back to The Rook to start working on his recipes. He went up to his room briefly before coming back down with a small cookbook, and sitting next to the kitchen door. He smelled the air, and jotted down some notes for a new idea. He repeated the process several times simply using what he saw and smelled as a basis while adjusting some existing recipes before he went to bed that night.

Magdiana's day was chaotic, but fulfilling. She did make two healing potions that day, but, then, she was asked to man the front. When it was her turn to do that, of course, there was a rush, and she wound up having to mix several cures on the fly for customers with specific needs beyond normal cures. All in all, she was happy, especially to have coin in her pocket, but, at the end of the day, she was exhausted. She went home, and collapsed onto the couch where Jacob found her.

He leaned down close to her face. “Hey, sis. You okay?” He asked her curiously.

Magdiana stretched, and sat up. "I'm fine. Just tired. What's up?"

He shook his head at her. “Nothing. I just wanted to make sure that you're okay.” He smiled at her.

"Alright. I know I said that I'd try to throw Dad around tonight, but I'm a little sore. That okay?" She asked.

“Yeah. That’s fine.” He nodded and smiled before giving her a hug and running off.

Magdiana closed her eyes, and laid back down on the couch. She didn't even realize that she'd fallen asleep until she felt a pair of strong arms lift her up and lay her back down as she rested. She rolled over, and fell back asleep almost immediately, sleeping through the night until the dawn.

Astero awoke bright and early, getting a light breakfast before he made his way to his new job. He waited outside the front door for about an hour. He wasn’t exactly told when he was to arrive, so he patiently waited. 

A little while later, Gordan arrived, looking at Astero, impressed. “Well, you're here early.” He smiled at the young man as he unlocked the door to let them in. 

“I've been up for a while.” Astero replied honestly. “Never really told me a start time, so I just waited for you.” He chuckled a little nervously.

Gordan chuckled as well. “Yeah, I realized that after you left, of course.” He smiled. “Well, no use in worrying about the past. Let's just get to it shall we?” He asked Astero, walking in the doors and through to the kitchen. 

“Sounds good.” He said with a smile. 

“Alright. I’m guessing you know how to make bread, so let's start with that.” Gordan said simply.

Astero rolled up his sleeves and immediately got to work without a word. He began to get the ingredients, and started making several batches of dough. Within the hour, the whole building smelled of fresh bread, and Astero walked to Gordon. “Okay, what do you need me to do next?” he asked.

Gordan was a bit shocked by Astero's quickness, but was sure it was better than anything he could make. “Well, I would get the rest of the ingredients prepped for the other meals people order.” He chuckled.

“Is there a menu?” Astero asked in response.

Gordan thought for a moment, and shuffled off, coming back a few moments later with an old looking piece of paper. “It’s a little outdated.” He chuckled.

“Yeah… I can tell.” Astero sighed deeply. He saw that there were no ingredients in the kitchen for some of the things on the menu. He looked up to Gordan. “Is it okay if I make a few changes?” He asked.

“By all means, if it makes it easier on you and money for us, I'm all in.” Gordon told Astero honestly.

“Good to know.” Astero smiled, and quickly got to work fixing the menu. Once he was done, he went into the back, and began prepping the ingredients. When he was finished, Grace entered the building. 

“Good morning!” She smiled happily at the two of them. “How are you two doing?” She asked.

Gordan smiled. “Well, thank you. I think we're going to have a good day.”

Astero nodded. “I'm doing well. Everything is prepped and ready to go.” He smiled back.

“Then, let's get started.” She smiled, turning the sign to ‘open’. 

Astero nodded, and went into the back. The day started off slow, at first, but sped up at lunch with several large orders coming through for several hours. The day slowed down at around two, and the three of them had time to relax for a moment. As they did so, Astero noticed a familiar face walk into the building. “Hey, Mag. What're you doing here?” He asked her curiously.

"Actually, I'm here for lunch. I was so frazzled this morning that I forgot to pack it." She sighed, looking at him and admitting, "I came home last night and slept for twelve hours without eating dinner." She looked at the menu before choosing something and ordering two. "I'm starved." She blushed.

Astero chuckled, and walked into the back. “No worries. Give me just a minute.” He said, disappearing into the back for a few minutes, and reappearing with a large plate in hand. “Here you go. Enjoy.” He announced, setting the plate down in front of her.

"Thank you!" She called out to him, digging in and not speaking for several minutes. When she was finished, she rubbed her stomach, feeling uncomfortably full until she let out a belch. "Excuse me… I'm not even sorry. That was good shit."

“Compliments to the chef, as they say.” Astero smiled. “Glad you liked it.”

She smiled. "I'll definitely be back for another lunch break sometime. Thanks."

“Anytime! Glad to hear it." Astero smiled before moving into the back to continue working.

It took a few days for both of the friends to adjust to their new schedule before Magdiana felt alive enough one evening to drag herself to The Rook. She saw that Astero wasn't in the bar, so she simply walked up to his room, knocking on the door.

Astero opened the door, and smiled. “Hey, what’s up?” He said, opening the door for her to come in.

She yawned. "Trying to follow Wake's orders and do team building. Also, trying to unfuck my sleep schedule. My job was never this exhausting in Yutan."

He nodded at her. “Yeah, I know the feeling. I'm used to getting up early, but staying late sucks.” He complained, letting out a yawn as well. “So, what were you planning with this ‘team building’?” He asked her, leaning against a small counter.

She pulled out a set of cards. "Wanna play rummy or something?"

He shrugged. “Okay. I'm not very good at cards, so you will have to show me.” He said, moving to sit at a small table.

"Good. One day, you'll be showing me recipes." She smiled, entering the room and taking up residence on the floor. She groaned. "Fuck. I'm sore."

“That is why I sat down on a chair. You are going to have trouble getting up now.” He chuckled.

"Fuck." She mumbled, crawling over to a chair and climbing into it. "I didn't even notice it."

“It’s fine. I'm just glad it's here. Almost got stuck on the floor the other day.” He laughed.

"This chair is so nice… I might not make it out of here." She mumbled, shuffling the cards.

He heard that and shuffled a bit awkwardly in his seat, focusing on the cards. “So, what are we playing?” He asked her.

She shrugged. "Dunno. Poker, rummy, go fish, old maid. I'm not picky. You have a preference?"

“How about poker, then? I, at least, know how to play that one.” He chuckled.

"Works for me." She dealt each of them five cards. "Five card draw. You can switch two of those… blah, blah."

He looked over the cards, and made a face. They weren't that great short of a pair of ten’s. He put two down on the table, hoping to get lucky. “Two please.”

She dealt him two, and looked at her cards, putting down two cards and drawing two more. "Is work and training starting to settle down for you yet?"

“Somewhat.” He said honestly. “Work is fun, so I like doing it. Just not used to being on my feet all day. So, training has been… limited.” He sighed. “What about you?”

She sighed. "Work isn't so bad. It's way busier than I'm used to, but I've basically doubled my training because Jacob wants me to show him stuff every night and I work out every morning."

Astero chuckled lightly. “I bet it’s fun showing off, though, huh?” He smiled at her.

"A bit, but I'm in pain. And, he's going to be terrifying one day." She whined. "Dad is pretty sure he's gonna get magic too, and he made a dagger stick into the target on his fifth try."

Astero sighed a bit, but smiled at her. “Nice, I'm glad things are going well for you.” He said quickly glancing at his cards, and seeing he now had two pair.

"You have something decent, but I can't tell how good." She muttered, placing her cards down face up, revealing a low straight.

“Just two pairs.” He said, placing them down face up as well. “Of course, you won.” He sighed.

She made a face. "I can never remember which hands win."

“A straight, beats two pairs.” He explained to her. “Still better than mine.”

"Alright. Well, it's your deal, mister smarty pants." She said tiredly. "I wish I had your memory. Some stuff you retain is just, like… mind… blown to me."

He chuckled, and shuffled the cards. “Partial eidetic memory.” He explained, tapping his temple. “Really good at remembering some things, but not others.” He said, dealing the cards out. “Really helped with learning spells.”

"How many do you know?" She asked. "I think that I know two and a half now."

“Including cantrips? Six.” He told her simply. “But, I can only cast three of them a day.” He sighed a bit. “I focused more on the fighting bit than the casting bit.”

"I understand." She said. "I think the cleric thing is different because I've seen my mom cast a couple different ones now… I'm still better at throwing a dagger than casting."

He looked over his cards before placing one down. “I think clerics have a different way they use and access their spells. Same with druids. Give it time, though. You will be blowing shit up left, right, and center.” He chuckled, taking a card.

She put down two cards, and took two that he gave her. She looked at him. "What do I have? Something, something team building."

He set his cards face down, and leaned in a bit to look deep into her eyes. “Hmmm. I see red… so either diamonds or hearts… maybe a pair?” He asked.

She whipped out a hand, and popped the side of his head lightly. "That's cheating." She scolded him with mirth in her eyes.

“Ow.” He grumbled, rubbing his head lightly. “It’s just a guess. Besides, I have to get really close to be able to do that. It’s not like you wouldn’t notice.” He sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"We're supposed to be learning about working together or something. I'm not even trying to hide my tells at the moment." She told him before putting down her cards. "I had jack shit. Red colored."

He looked at her hand, and placed his hand down, revealing three of kind. “Was going for a full house, but came up short.” He sighed, handing her the cards. “Also, I know, but I'm bad at reading faces.” He told her honestly. “Hearing tone shifts in voice, oh yeah, that I can do, but can’t read a face short of blatant emotions.” He sighed.

"Huh. I guess that I never noticed that about you." She pondered aloud. She took the cards and started to shuffle, but she yawned again. "I'm sorry. Maybe, I should've waited until tomorrow. I'm so tired."

"It's fine. It just makes it hard to talk to people sometimes." He sighed, and looked at her. "If you want to go get some sleep, I'm not going to stop you." He chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure we have time before Wake gets back."

She yawned larger than before. "I don't know if I'll make it home. Maybe, I'll go talk to Raze."

Astero saw how tired she was, and let out a small sigh. She wasn't going to make it to the stairs, let alone to Raze. "Just stay here. It will save you money, at least." He sighed softly, and got up to get a spare blanket.

Her eyes grew heavy. "Thanks." She muttered quietly, curling up on the chair. "Night."

"Night." He quietly replied, placing the blanket over her. He waited for a bit until she was fast asleep before he picked her up and placed her on the bed. He, then, laid down on the floor beside it.

Magdiana awoke at dawn with a giant crick in her neck. She stretched before her mind connected where she was. She glanced around to see Astero sleeping on the floor, but he looked like he was starting to stir. She sighed. He'd let her have his bed, and there was no getting out before he got up. She tiptoed into the bathroom, and used the facilities before coming out to see Astero sitting up and stretching. "Good morning." She said quietly.

"Morning." He spoke, stretching and popping his back before sighing in relief. "How did you sleep?" He asked standing up.

"Really well." She said honestly. "Better than I have been."

“Good. It looked like you needed it.” He replied with a smile. “Now, I will have to ask you to leave. I need to get ready for work.” he chuckled.

"Shit. I've gotta get changed." She grumbled. "Guess I'm getting my run in the hard way this morning."

Astero chuckled. “You got this.” He said, opening the door for her.

She made a mad dash out of the room, running home and changing before running all the way back to work with enough time to spare to catch her breath. When her boss opened the door for her, she was still somewhat panting. "Hey, Charles."

“Hello, Magdiana.” He greeted, eyeing her curiously. “Wake up late, did we?” He asked her.

"Woke up at dawn, like usual. Just a rough morning." She hedged, not wanting to go into details.

Charles looked at the clock, and, then, back to her. “So long as you arrive on time, I won't worry about it. Just try not to make it a regular occurrence. Okay?” He asked, stepping aside to let her in.

"No problem. What am I making today?" She asked seriously. 

“I will have you take care of the remedies today while I work on the potions.” He explained to her.

"Sounds good. Just let me know if you need anything that does a little more damage." She offered not for the first time.

“If I get a request that asks for something like that, you will be the first to know.” He chuckled, walking to the back to get started on the potions.

Magdiana sighed. If she knew anything about being a rogue, people didn't outright ask for what she was offering to make. Manning the front and using thieves cant would be her best option since she doubted her boss knew anything about such things.

Astero quickly changed into his work clothes, and made his way into work. He went about getting everything set up and prepped for the day. A little while later, Gordan entered, bringing Astero a cup of coffee, which he happily consumed. “Thank you. I needed that.” He smiled at the older man.

“No problem.” He smiled back. “You've been working hard, and this place has been picking up in the last few days. All thanks to you and your skills.” Gordon said gesturing to Astero. 

“Thanks. It’s nice to hear that.” Astero smiled as he sliced some vegetables for the make table.

Gordan raised an eyebrow at Astero. “Surely, your parents must be proud of you?” He asked not knowing much about the boy.

Astero sighed deeply, and cut himself a bit with the knife. “Fuck.” He groaned in pain before going to wash his hands. “Uh, no, actually.” He hedged a bit. “They died when I was young.” He explained, drying his hands.

Gordan frowned at that. “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to stir up any bad memories.” He whispered sympathetically.

“It’s fine.” Astero shrugged it off, and gave the old man a smile. “I was seven. I don’t remember much. Besides, that was sixteen years ago.” He offered as explanation putting a bandage on and going back to work.

Gordan nodded slightly, looking Astero over. “I understand. Just remember that everyone needs someone to talk to.” He told him seriously.

Astero was going to reply, but Grace walked into the room. She greeted the two of them, and began to turn the signs around. Gordan and Astero gave each other a nod, and got back to work, working hard as the customers came and went throughout the morning and afternoon. By the time the day was done, Astero was sore, but, overall, happy. He had a few leftovers from the day to bring home for his dinner, and was looking forward to it. On his way back to The Rook, Astero accidently ran into an older human man with a ragged coat. “Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to do that.” He apologized with a small frown. 

The man looked Astero over for a long moment, and gave him a smile. “No. No, don’t worry about it. The fault was mine.” He apologized in return, turning and walking off into the night. “Enjoy your dinner!” He called out, waving as he left.

Astero waved back, and turned to continue walking for all but a moment when he realized he'd never mentioned his meal. He turned around, and looked back to see no one there. “What the fuck?” He asked out loud. He quickly made his way back to The Rook, and beelined for his room. In a small panic, he checked over the things in his bags, and saw that an unfamiliar envelope was inside one of them right on top where it could have been dropped in. Astero looked around the room curiously. He knew he was alone, but this was odd. He opened the letter nervously with shaking hands. 

“Dear Astero,

It has been many years since we last saw each other, and I wish it was under better circumstances that we did. However, that is the past, and it cannot be changed. I am glad that you have gotten out of Yutan, and that shithole Evermore. There is a much bigger and more vibrant world to see other than just snow and ice. 

You are probably wondering how I know all of this, and, well, family needs to stick together. It will be a while before I contact you again, so just know that I will be close. I always have been, and, also know, that the ones who you call friends CANNOT be trusted. You need to fight for the side of life. For now, learn their weaknesses, and keep doing what you are doing. 

With love always.  
Your Brother,  
Rivin.”

Astero dropped the letter, and sat against the wall of his room shaking uncontrollably. “What. The. Fuck.”


	6. Bind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is where the explicit rating comes in.

Astero took the letter, and hid it in his bag, shoving it right to the bottom in his haste and panic. He didn’t want to look at it anymore. He was shaking in anxiousness. He sat on his bed before he ran to the bathroom to vomit; his stomach getting the better of him. He relaxed against the cold floor of the bathroom, and breathed deeply. He had no idea who he could trust right now. Nor did he even remember having a brother growing up. He sat up, and looked around his room helplessly. Astero needed some form of grounding at the moment. He was on the verge of a panic attack, and he was only just holding himself together.

Magdiana knocked on Astero's door. It had been a long day, but she was much more awake this afternoon than she had been yesterday, and she'd brought a puzzle today. She made a face when there was no response. She knocked harder. "Hey, As?"

Astero jumped when he heard Mag’s voice. He stood up, and took a few steps before stopping, remembering the words of warning from the letter. He leaned against the door jam. “Are… are you by yourself?” He whispered nervously through the door, voice wavering.

"As, you're making me nervous. I'm alone. Are you okay?" She asked back quietly through the door. 

He anxiously opened the door before pulling her in quickly, and locking the door behind her in one swift movement. He sat with his back pushing against the door, and shook his head. “No… nothing’s alright.” He grunted before running to the bathroom to vomit again.

Magdiana watched him for a minute before fiddling with a small pouch, taking out a bit of green stuff, and handing it to him. "Chew this slowly." She ordered.

Astero looked up to her, and nodded. He grabbed the herbs, and began to slowly chew them for a minute. He let out a sigh of relief when they started to work, and he began to feel a bit better. “Thank you.” He sighed.

"You're welcome." She watched him carefully. "You don't look sick. What happened?"

He looked up to her, and shook his head. “Honestly, I'm not entirely sure myself, but, at the same time, I don’t know if I can tell you.” He started, trailing off for a moment and doing a sort of double take before looking at her again. “I need to ask you a question, and it’s going to sound awful. So, I’m sorry in advance… Do your parents feel like they’re your parents?” He asked her bluntly nervous about her reaction as he spoke.

Magdiana hummed for a minute. "Oh, we're back on the Yutan woowoo shit. Aren't we?"

“Mag, I’m serious.” He deadpanned.

"Honestly?" She asked. "I think so. More than the ones in Yutan…" Her voice broke and her eyes watered. She was so confused. “I really want them to be.”

He stood up, and retrieved the hidden letter from his bag, handing it to her. “I ran into a guy on my way home from work. He told me to ‘have a nice dinner’. I never said anything like that to him, and, when I got here, that was in one of my bags.” He explained to her, sitting down on the floor against the door again. “And, now, I have no clue what’s going on or what to believe.”

She sat down next to him, and read the letter. Her lips pursed. She looked at him seriously. "Burn it. We can't trust this to not be scryed on."

He took the letter, and shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that. It said it’s from my brother. Mag, do you have any recollection of me having any siblings?” He asked her.

"No, As, but what I know right now is that we can trust each other, and this stupid paper told you not to trust even me. Astero, I have known you forever. I escaped with you. If you can't fucking trust me, then, who does this asshole think you can trust?" Tears were streaming down her eyes as she looked at him. She shook the parchment in her white knuckled grip. "Burn it."

He looked at her and back down at the letter. His face looked angry, and he threw it before casting Fire Bolt, setting it ablaze. The parchment turned to ashes before it hit the ground. He covered his face, and started to cry.

Magdiana pulled him into a hug, and held him as she cried too. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She kept whispering into his ear like a chanted prayer.

Astero hugged her back, holding her as they cried for several long minutes. The tears subsided after a while, and Astero looked to her. “Thanks, Mag.” He said in a husky whisper.

"Please, don't thank me." She whispered. "For all I know, I just made you burn our only way out of… whatever this might be." She sniffed.

He shook his head at her words. “No. Thank you for being here. Whatever... ‘that’ was… We'll deal with it together.” Astero looked at her seriously, pulling her close to give her a small side hug.

She nodded, grabbing his hand and holding it reassuringly. "Please, please come to me if anything else happens. We'll get through this. Together."

Astero grabbed her hand, and squeezed it slightly, realizing just how comforting the gesture felt. “I will. I promise.” He told her, resting his head on her shoulder. “For now, just stay here for a little longer.” He sighed.

"As long as you need me, I'll be here." She smiled a watery smile. "I'm sorry that our lives are so complicated."

He let out a small chuckle. “You would think that, at this point, we would be used to it.”

"Well, we'll just get better at dealing with it." She smirked. Magdiana suddenly realized her face was a little close to his, and pulled away a smidge. "Sorry." She blushed deeply, turning her head away.

He saw her face turn red, and sat up a bit, realizing their closeness for himself. He still held her hand, it felt nice against his. “We are complicated… aren’t we?” He asked her.

She nodded, letting out a sniff. "Yeah." This made her chuckle. "I'm sorry that I made it complicated by f-." She stopped speaking, blushing even darker. "Maybe, maybe I should just go."

He held her hand tightly, and looked back at her. “It wasn’t just you... “ He said trailing off for a moment before he continued. “We've been through hell and back together, especially the last few weeks, and, honestly, if you hadn’t said something the other day. I wouldn’t have even thought of you any other way.” Astero started, turning a bit red.

"Astero, please…" She started and stopped, licking her lips nervously. "I don't know if I can take it if you suddenly say that you've… you've…" She gulped, just staying quiet for a minute while she worked up the gumption. She wiggled her foot anxiously. "You've fallen in love with me, too." She finally whispered.

Astero nodded at her. “Yeah.” He said at a whisper. “The last person I would've expected a tenday ago. Yet, here I am… We are.” He chuckled slightly, looking her over. “Is that alright with you?” He asked Magdiana quietly, brushing some stray bleach blonde hairs out of her face.

Magdiana was quiet for a minute before she finally spoke. Her mind was whirling. "Is- is there a word for better than alright because I can't think of it right now."

He chuckled at her. “Yeah, a lot of them, and in multiple languages too.” He smiled at her, nudging her a bit. “You look like you just witnessed a miracle.” 

"Didn't I?" She asked still a bit baffled. Tears were welling up in her eyes again, but these ones were different. They were happy tears. 

“Well, it did take a while to get here, but I am glad I told you.” He smiled softly at her.

Magdiana grinned widely. "As?" She asked.

“Yeah, Mag?” He asked her back, grey eyes meeting wet green ones.

"Is it too much too fast if I kiss you now?" She whispered.

He chuckled, and leaned in to give her a kiss. Lingering there for a moment, testing this new realm they were in. He pulled away slowly with a small smile. “It might take some getting used to, but it’s not bad.” He chuckled.

She smiled back. "Weird, but not bad weird.” She commented. Then, she got a conspiratorial look on her face. "Does that count as team building?"

Astero looked puzzled, and, then, barked out a laugh. “I think it does.” He replied, wiping away an errant tear from his eye. “That's one way to do it.” He chuckled.

She leaned into him, resting her head somewhere between his chest and shoulder. "I'm scared." She admitted.

He moved his arm around her, and pulled her close, looking at the ashes in the corner. “So am I.” He replied at a whisper.

"I wish I knew who we could trust." She told him. "But, I do know that I trust you even enough to remove all of my daggers to sleep, and I never do that."

Astero smiled softly at her. His fingers ran small trails up and down her arm, leaving behind goosebumps. “Thank you for trusting me.” He spoke quietly. “That means a lot to me.” He pulled her a little closer, turning his head to kiss her hairline lightly.

"I wouldn't dream of it any other way." She smiled.

He rested his head on hers. “I’m glad.” He whispered.

"What sort of shitty relationship would it be if I didn't trust you while I'm disarmed?" She asked before answering her own question. "I mean, besides all of my other relationships."

“Well, for starters. We don’t exactly have a normal relationship.” He chuckled. “We kicked the shit out of each other for years, were trained to be soldiers, almost froze to death, ran away together on a ship, and confessed our love for one another just moments ago.” He paused for a moment. “Where exactly does the normal start?” He asked her rhetorically.

"I would say the last bit, but the crazy hit the floor moments before that, so… okay… never, but I still trust you. And, I am suddenly exhausted." She slumped into him. "Our lives are like a phase spider hopped up on agony."

“No… those would still come down from Their high.” He chuckled before yawning. “Fuck. I’m tired.”

She looked at him seriously. "Do you mind if I stay?" She asked. "I don't… I'm… having trust issues."

“Yeah, that's fine. I don’t blame you.” Astero nodded against her before sighing deeply. “Going into work is going to suck tomorrow.”

"Do you think we should run again?" She asked seriously.

He ran the idea through his head several times, and eventually shook his head. “No… that would cause even more suspicion.” He responded, looking at her. “We should keep doing what we're doing, and figure it out as we go.” He told her honestly. “First, we need to figure out who we can trust- other than the two of us, obviously.”

"I think Jacob is safe." She said a bit sadly. "He's just a kid."

“Yeah, that much is obvious,” He sighed. “But I'm more worried about your parents.” He said sadly.

"Yeah." She nodded. "That letter… it changes everything."

“Yeah, it does.” Astero sighed, and shook his head. “But, it’s gone. For now, I need sleep.” He said with another long yawn.

Magdiana looked at him a bit nervously before retreating to the bathroom. When she returned, she was wearing the same outfit, but she looked more comfortable. She started to walk towards the couch. "Goodnight, Astero."

Astero got up, and looked at her. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch.” He told her seriously, walking to the bathroom. “We might have only just started this a few minutes ago, but we aren’t going to rush into things.” He chuckled, shutting the door behind him.

She walked over to the bed, and climbed in. "Okay." She told him, getting comfortable, and pressing close against the wall to leave plenty of room for him.

When Astero came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a shirt and pajama bottoms. He walked over to the bed, and laid down next to her. He pulled the covers over them, and relaxed a bit more. “Well, goodnight, Mag.” He smiled at her.

She looked at him, seeing him fine in the dark. "Night, As, and, don't worry, I can't stab you tonight."

“I know. I saw the daggers in the bathroom.” He chuckled quietly in the dark room. “Still impressed that you have that many on you at all times.”

"I could fit more, but it would get restrictive." She told him. She wiggled to get more comfortable, and accidentally bumped him. "Sorry."

Astero shook his head a bit. “Don’t be. We're in the same bed. Of course, we're going to bump into one another.” He chuckled lightly, bumping her back a smidge before yawning. “I just hope you don’t do that all night.”

She sighed a bit. Not in frustration, but just kind of resigned. She gently took his arm, and rested her head on it, backing into him. "I won't." She muttered before closing her eyes.

He smiled lightly, and put his other arm around her. “Okay, good.” He muttered. “Night.”

"Night." She whispered, feeling her muscles relax for the first time in what felt like forever.

The two slept together soundly simply holding each other in their arms for the night. When morning came, Astero was the first to awake. He was confused, at first, when he couldn’t feel his arm, but quickly realized who was next to him, and what had happened last night. He watched Magdiana sleep soundly for a moment before he began to feel her stir. “Morning.” He whispered to her.

She tensed for a moment before she suddenly relaxed again. "Morning."

“How'd you sleep?” He asked her.

"That was the best rest of my life." She answered honestly.

“Good. I'm glad. Could you please move a bit? I think my arm is asleep.” He grunted, forcing his fingers and feeling tingles in his arm.

She slowly sat up, stretching a bit as she did so. "Sorry. That was the first time in a long time that I haven't slept with daggers on me. I don't think I moved; it was so comfortable."

He pulled his arm out from underneath her, and clenched his fist a few more times before extending and popping his elbow. “Ahh… that feels better.” He sighed, looking up at her. “How often did you sleep with them on?” He asked her seriously, stretching as well.

"I mean, I sometimes sleep with all of them, but, at least, one or two… one under the pillow one on a leg." She shrugged crawling out of bed. "By the way, I learned from yesterday. I brought spare clothes this time."

“I understand the pillow one, but on the leg just sounds uncomfortable.” He replied honestly, sitting up now, and doing a few more stretches. “Go get changed. I'll wait for you to come out.” Astero grumbled, popping his neck.

She grabbed her clothes, and got dressed. When she came back out, she was holstering the dagger that usually went on her back, or trying to, at least. "Why do I do this?" She asked rhetorically.

He got out of bed, and walked up to her. “Do you need help?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, I fight with this one every day, and win eventually. But, it would help." She laughed.

He chuckled, and gingerly took the dagger from her hand before turning her around. Astero carefully lifted up the back of her shirt, placed the dagger into its holster, and patted her on the shoulder. “There you go.” He smiled as he began to walk to the bathroom, now.

"Thank you." She smiled, starting to pull on her boots.

“Don’t worry about it.” He replied, shutting the bathroom door behind him, and changing into his usual attire.

She waited for him to come out of the bathroom, marching over, and giving him a kiss before she walked to the door. "Have a good day." She told him with a little wink.

Astero smiled back at her. “You as well. Try not to get into too much trouble.” He joked at her.

"You mean, by speaking plainly in thieves cant to strangers at the shop? Because I'm already doing that." She laughed before closing the door behind her.

He sighed to himself as the door shut, smiling as he did so. “That bitch.” He chuckled, getting his boots on, and leaving a few minutes later to get to work.

Magdiana snuck passed Raze gracelessly, knowing that she wasn't hiding anything, but just not wanting to deal with the hassle at the moment. Finally, she was out the door and bounding towards work. She really didn't want to be late for two days in a row. She made it with five minutes to spare before her boss arrived. "Hey, Charles." She greeted 

“Good morning, Magdiana.” He greeted her. “Glad to see you here early.” He smiled.

"Had a much better morning today." She told him honestly. "Sorry about yesterday. I was frazzled."

He waved it off. “It’s fine. We all have our off days. I don’t doubt you will see me in a similar manner at some point in the near future.” He told her honestly.

"So, what are we making today?" She asked curiously as always.

“The same as yesterday,” He smiled at her conspiratorially. “But I did get a request. One that you can take care of.” He explained, handing her the order for some poisons.

Finally. She thought to herself. "Can do." She said, looking at the request. Then, she frowned. "We have gloves and face masks, right?"

Charles looked at her curiously. “Yes, of course. Why?”

"That recipe requires lavender. I'm allergic." She told him honestly.

“Ahh.” He said in understanding. “They're in the back, I will get you some. Just be careful. Okay?”

"It's fine." She told him. "I know what I'm doing, and it's really just an uncomfortable reaction. I won't die or anything."

“Glad to hear.” He smiled at her. “I still want you to be careful. I can’t afford to let you have time off for some time, I'm afraid.” He half-chuckled.

She smiled. "Of course. If bad things happen, I'll just talk to my mom. She's a cleric."

Charles let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the heavens.”

"Thank, Corellon." She jokingly corrected.

He smiled back. “Thank Corellon, indeed.” He chuckled before opening the door. “Well, let’s get to work.”

Magdiana worked on the poisons, making sure they were of the best quality so that it would help business, and, by lunch time, she hadn't fucked up and made her allergies go haywire. Around noon, she was dismissed for lunch, and realized that she'd brought clothes but no food the previous night. She sighed. She didn't want to seem clingy, but she did want Astero's cooking right now. So, she quickly made her way to his workplace for lunch.

When Magdiana arrived at the shop, it was busy. She waited, but, thankfully, not for long before she got to order just one sandwich this time, giving her coin and taking a seat. Several minutes later, her food arrived in the hands of the woman who she thought owned the shop. "Thank you." She said.

“No problem, miss. Do enjoy your meal.” The other woman smiled before quickly going to the next customer.

When Magdiana finished, the shop was still busy, so she called to the back, "Compliments to the chef." She smiled before starting to walk out. Astero was having a very busy day.

A moment later, the woman from earlier walked up to Magdiana, and handed her a small bag. “It’s from the chef.” She smiled. “Enjoy.” She said, giving a small wink, and going back to work.

Magdiana looked in the bag, and retrieved a napkin with a hand scribbled note on it. 'Have a wonderful day', and there was a small smiley face next to it. Inside the bag, was a small chocolate croissant. She laughed, but ate the snack and made her way back to work in a pleasant mood. When the day was over, she went home to spend time with her family. She was on edge for the entire evening meal, and it was noticeable. How was she even supposed to relax? By the time her toes had started tapping for the fourth time, her mother was staring at her. Magdiana stopped moving. "Sorry."

“Is everything all right, dear?” Eri asked her worriedly. “You've been acting funny ever since you got home.”

She sighed, hating the need to lie, or, at least, tell half truths. "Anxious to see Astero, Mom. Sorry." 

“Anxious? Why is that?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “Is everything alright between you two?” 

"Yeah. Actually, we had a breakthrough. We're really getting along." Magdiana replied smoothly.

Eri smiled at Magdiana. “Good, I'm glad.” She replied still watching at her. “But, why anxious?”

Magdiana looked at Jacob's plate, and saw that he was finished. "You should probably get ready for bed, huh?" She asked her brother.

Jacob looked to his sister, and sighed. “Yeah, I don't want to, though.” He frowned.

"We'll stay up late on eighth day and goof around, if you want, but you have school in the morning." Magdiana replied, waiting for him to be out of ear shot.

Jacob smiled, and nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get ready.” He announced, moving to give her a hug before turning to go to his room.

Magdiana looked between her parents, settling on her mother. She knew she couldn't get away without giving out information if they were suspicious, but she could control the information they received. "Astero and I kissed last night." She told them.

Both of their eyes went wide, and they looked to each other for a moment. Eri looked back at her. “Oh, well, I can see why you would be anxious then.” She chuckled.

"I have no idea what it means for us, and we were going to talk tonight." She told them, trying not to feel guilty about the lie. This might not be her parents, right?

Marius sighed, and nodded. “Well, it’s not like we can stop you.” He began, looking to Eri. “If you want to go talk to him, that’s fine by me just, please, and I know you already know this... be careful.” He said in a caring and worried tone.

"Woah, woah." Magdiana stopped him right there. "You can save the talk, please. I'm not ready for that with him yet."

Eri looked at her seriously. “Mag, we know you're old enough, and you’ll figure all ‘that’ out.” She explained. “We just know that it can be odd, going from being friends to being a couple.” She looked at Marius, pausing while she let her words sink in. Eri looked back to Mag. “Just don’t rush things. It’s okay to take your time.” She calmly reached across the table to hold her daughter’s hand for a moment, rubbing it with her thumb.

"Oh, I will." Magdiana promised. "Anyway, please don't wait up. It might be a long heart to heart."

They both nodded, but Eri replied. “We’ll be fine. Just worry about yourself.” She smiled. “Have a good night. Okay?” She cooed in a motherly tone.

"Okay, thanks!" Magdiana called out, grabbing her things, and dashing out the door.

“Take care!” Marius called out, seeing her take off into the night.

"We weren't like that, right?" Eri laughed, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Well, we had our moments.” Marius reminded her honestly, playing with the hair of her braid, and chuckling as he did so. 

Magdiana made it to The Rook, and actually found Astero eating dinner in the common area this night. She moved to join him. "You must've been busy. This is a really late meal. Thanks for the chocolate, by the way."

He smiled at her. “Yeah, everyone wanted the roast chicken.” He sighed a bit,looking back at her and meeting her eyes with a little smirk pulling at his lips. “I’m glad you liked it.”

"It was much appreciated after a stressful morning. Finally got an order for something really good into my wheelhouse and, of course, lavender is an ingredient to keep if from smelling and tasting foul." She rolled her eyes.

“Well, it looks like you made it through just fine.” Astero replied checking her over for any signs of an allergic reaction. “Bet you had fun making it, though.” He chuckled, finishing the last of his meal.

"It will be the best vials of midnight tears ever used." She responded at a whisper.

“Huh, wonder why someone needs that.” He thought to himself for a moment before shrugging. “Whatever. More money for you, right?” He smiled at her.

She nodded. "I get some commissions, yeah. I'm waiting for the day that Charles asks me to prove that I can make a supreme healing potion. That'll be a lot."

“I didn’t know you could make those.” He hummed, impressed. “You learn something new everyday.”

"They're expensive, and time consuming. I've made, like, two over my entire life." She responded.

“Huh, well, that’s cool.” Astero smiled at her. “I want to hear the story when that happens.” He chuckled.

"When I hand it to him, he'll Identify it first. Then, he'll have a heart attack." She laughed, but she was far from relaxed. Instead, her eyes were glancing around the room for anything suspicious. "Wanna get out of here?"

“Please don’t kill your boss.” He jokingly chastised, shaking his head and standing up. “Yeah, I’m basically through with people for the day.”

She started to walk towards the front and up the stairs to Astero's room when her eyes locked with Raze's. "Good evening." She greeted.

“Evening.” Raze replied with a smile. “How are you two getting along?” The innkeeper looked like the cat that got the canary. 

"I'm not confirming the clear melodrama happening in your head." Magdiana deadpanned. "Night."

“Aww, not even a smidgen?” Raze half-pouted, half-goaded with a look on her face that told Magdiana all she needed to know.

Magdiana chuckled. "He lives here." She jerked her head towards Astero. "He might elect to tell you, but you're not getting anything out of me."

Astero simply shook his head, and continued up the stairs to his room. “Night, Raze.” He replied back.

“He never talks to me.” Raze frowned as she looked back to Magdiana. “Goodnight. Sleep well, dear.” A smirk pulled at her lips.

"Night." She winced, realizing what she'd said. "Wait. I'm not staying." Magdiana corrected as she walked up the stairs to Astero's door. She sighed, and whispered to him. "Fucking smooth as a dull butter knife."

"She can think all she wants. I'm not telling her anything." He told her honestly before he entered his room and sat down on the bed, sighing in relief. "That's better."

She unloaded her things, and joined him on the bed. "This training twice a day thing is going to kill me, even if the morning is just my run, but Jacob isn't going to put up with a 10k either." She sighed, and slumped back to lay face up on the bedding.

"I don't think he’ll be able to do a 1k." Astero chuckled, slumping back on the bed as well. " That was a mistake… I'm not moving from this spot, now." He grunted softly before glancing over at Magdiana and smiling. “So, are you just staying to chat, or are you staying here tonight?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Not a clue." She said honestly. "Kinda nervous to sleep in their house right now, though, to be honest. I feel safer here."

Astero chuckled. “Then, I guess, you have your answer.” He smiled, and leaned in to give her a small kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you feel safe here.” He said honestly.

She sighed. "I feel lawyered, but I will stay." She rolled over into him, and kissed him on the cheek. "I don't mind this closeness at all. You should definitely not move."

“I wasn’t planning on it. My back is too sore to move.” He smiled at her.

She frowned. "Roll onto your stomach, please?"

He sighed. “Fine… but it’ll take me a minute.” He grunted and groaned as he rolled over, and, eventually, laid on his stomach for her. “Better?” He asked her.

Magdiana proceeded to remove her daggers, and moved over top him, rubbing his muscles with her hands. "I'm sorry you're sore." She told him as her fingers worked his shoulders.

Astero jumped a bit as she got on top of him, but sighed when she began to massage his back. He closed his eyes, and just felt the tension release from his muscles. “Ahhh, thank you.” He sighed, turning his head to the side so he could peek at her through the corner of his eye. “Don’t worry about it too much, though. It will just take me some time to get used to the routine. Besides, it not like you made me this sore.” He chuckled.

"I could." She chuckled only half-offering.

He chuckled back, and looked back at her. “As fun as that sounds right now, I’ll pass.” He told her honestly. “I don’t want to rush this, and, as much as I want to, I just don’t want to move.” He chuckled.

"I'm not offended." She brushed his words off. "I'm not ready for that between us yet, if I'm being honest. Too much too fast."

“Good.” He nodded back. “Glad we’re in agreement.” He smiled at her. “For now, please don’t stop that. It feels good.” He sighed feeling her hands undo a kink in his back.

She smiled. "Of course, not." She continued to work his muscles with her fingers, and, a few minutes later, she spoke again. "Tell me. What do you want to do when our lives settle down?"

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, sighing with relief as her fingers continued to help him relax. “The same things that I said before. A small house, baking and cooking, and just someone to be with me.” He smiled at her.

"That sounds nice." She hummed. "With a big yard for target practice."

“Yeah, exactly.” He chuckled, imagining the idea. “And, what about you? Similar plans, or something different?” He asked her, closing his eyes a bit.

"This is silly and short term, but I'd like to grow my hair out and let it be brunette again. And, I think it would be nice, maybe, to open my own apothecary one day." She offered. 

“That sounds like you. You really like working with that stuff.” He chuckled. “And, I would like to see your hair long again… I liked it long.” He smiled at her.

She smiled. "Thank you. I did too. I know it wasn’t the best for fights, but… I felt pretty."

Astero lifted himself a bit and rolled over before sitting up. “You are.” He smiled, giving her a small kiss. “And, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” He told her seriously before his stomach growled. “Now, do you want something to eat? I am suddenly peckish.” He told her honestly.

"I could snack, but I'm not starving." She replied honestly.

“Sandwiches it is.” He smiled, lifting her off of him, and getting up to make them a snack.

"What're we having?" She laughed.

“Roast chicken sandwiches.” He chuckled, pulling out some bread and quickly slicing it to size. “Since we had so much extra at work, I brought some back for snacks.” He smiled at her.

"Corellon bless you." She tried. "Nope. Sounds weird."

He laughed a bit. “Well, it was either bring some back, or throw away five whole chickens… I refuse to throw away food.” He told her honestly, bringing her a small plate with a sandwich on it. “Enjoy.” He smiled.

"Thanks." She smiled, digging in. She basically inhaled it. "Okay. Where did that come from? I swear, I've had, like, all the food today."

“All the food?” He asked her taking a bite of his sandwich and chewing it a bit before swallowing. “Because I could still make a few things with what I have here.” He half-joked.

"I had lunch, that croissant, dinner with the 'family', and that sandwich." She elaborated.

He thought about her words for a moment. “You didn’t have breakfast.” He added, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"If you recall from the beginning of our daring adventure, I don't like breakfast." She snarked.

He chuckled at her for a moment, and smiled. “Stick with me for a while, and I think I may just be able to change that.” He grinned at her.

She chuckled. "You’re welcome to try."

“Okay, then.” Astero smiled, finishing the last of his sandwich and taking her plate, bringing them back to the small sink. “It won’t be tomorrow or even this week, but I think I can do that.” He smiled, turning around and looking at her.

"That face is oddly convincing." She smiled. "So, what are we doing tonight? More team building?"

“I have no fucking clue.” Astero chuckled. “But, I’m down for just about anything.” He replied honestly.

"We're supposed to be team building, so no spars, unfortunately." She frowned. "Not that they were making us better anymore." She sighed. "How are we supposed to take down Wake when we fight him again?"

Astero sighed, and walked back over to the bed before sitting down next to her. Their thighs lightly touched, and he rested a hand on hers. “Well, that attack you did on him worked, but you can't be throwing all your blades at him every time. You could just borrow mine, but that would be cumbersome on both of us.” He hummed, thinking about how to defeat the mighty Captain. “He must have some sort of opening. We just can’t see yet.”

"Can I throw your dagger?" Magdiana asked, feeling equal amounts shocked and curious. "I thought that I couldn’t because it was a bound weapon thing?"

“Yeah, you can.” Astero explained, summoning his dagger to his hand, and handing it to her. “I can just summon it, and can not be disarmed of it while I’m awake.” He told her honestly. “And, I can only have two bound to me at a time.”

"So, I throw, you summon, you throw? Maybe, it would distract him? Sudden disappearing dagger?" She thought out loud.

He shook his head at her. “Sadly, I don't think that will work. He does something similar. Remember when he hit you with his sword?” He asked her. “Pretty sure he knows what I can do as well. We’ve got some eerily similar abilities.”

She grabbed her chest where Wake had slashed at her. "Ugh. Yeah. I remember. Shit hurt."

He nodded, and shivered. “Yeah, getting thrown from the ship hurt, too.” He sighed.

"Alright, so, do you think moving stuff on the ship was difficult to control?" She asked. "Could you tell if he was concentrating? I don't really know what that looks like, yet."

Astero thought about it for a moment, and shook his head. “Nah, he wasn’t muttering anything. He looked relaxed. My guess is that whatever is on the ship is permanent.” He sighed.

"What do we know about warlocks then? You said he was one." She suggested.

He sighed deeply before looking at her. “Either we make him use all of his spells right away, and attack him at melee range, maybe just attack him at close range, or we figure out a way to get him off of the ship.” He said, giving several suggestions.

"I wonder if there's a cleric thing to push people." She wondered aloud. "You already know that I'm best if I can strike first and whenever I have a tactical advantage. I make people hurt best that way."

“Not too sure on the pushy bit, but I could always try to grapple him. I don’t have any spells to help with hitting… Yet.” He told her.

"I'm not sure when or what 'yet' is, but I'm…" She blushed, looking down and away. "Nevermind."

He saw her blush, and looked at her intently. “What is it?” He asked her seriously.

"Too much information courtesy of word vomit." She sighed, giving in. "The prospect is… oddly arousing. Happy?"

He made an odd face, before shaking his head lightly. “Well, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind, but who am I to judge. Dated a girl who liked getting hit. That didn’t last long.” He sighed.

She flinched. "No, no. Nothing like that. I was thinking more like watching you do it looking all strong and powerful."

"Oh." Astero chuckled, and he rubbed her hand with his a little. "Well, thank you. You’re too kind for noticing." He flexed as the words left his lips.

She smirked, gripping his bicep playfully. "Which lunatic in Evermore actually wanted to be hit like that? Jeez."

"Abigail." He replied without hesitation, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Like I said, it didn't last long."

"I barely remember that one." Magdiana commented. "That's a really weird kink."

“Yeah, it was uncomfortable for me.” He sighed. “I’m actually glad that it never worked out.”

"I can imagine." Magdiana whispered, patting his thigh in a reassuring manner. "I'm sorry."

Astero shook his head at her. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, it was laughable. She was weird.” He chuckled.

"At least, you didn't hold a dagger at your lovers throat while you fucked." She offered. "Not the best experience to be honest."

“That, I could handle.” He joked. “At least, then, it wouldn’t have been so off putting.”

"I’m not into that stuff at all." She shrugged. "But, I do have needs, and he suited them."

“Neither am I.” He replied to her. “And, I was in the same boat. I needed a release.” 

She nodded. "Same." She blushed, and looked away. "It's actually been awhile, but I can take care of myself."

Astero blushed slightly. “Good. Just imagine me without my shirt on.” He chuckled at her, playfully running a finger down her cheek.

She blushed brighter, and looked at him. "Didn't need the visual or the permission, but thank you."

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her casually.

She nudged him. "Don't act all low key about it, you fuck."

“What? We’re adults.” He replied defensively, raising an eyebrow at her. “And, we’re a thing, now, so it is bound to happen.”

"Doesn't make it any less weird or surreal at the moment. Still kinda getting used to this." She pointed between the two of them. "I do love you, though." She placed her head on his shoulder.

“And, I love you, too.” He softly replied, putting an arm around her. “It will take time to get used to, but I find joking helps ease into it.” He turned his head a little, kissing her cheek chastely. A smile pulled at his lips, and he pulled her closer to his side. “Besides, it’s only awkward if you make it awkward.”

She smirked. "I bet I could make it awkward." 

“Why?” He asked her seriously. “Are you really that pent up?”

"Oh, no. Nothing like that." She laughed, leaning in, and licking his face chin to forehead. "Now, I've claimed you as my own, grade school style."

Astero blinked for a moment, and cast Prestidigitation on his face. He looked at her, and leaned in like he was going for a kiss, then he put his mouth around her nose and blew into it. “And, now, you’re mine.” He chuckled.

"Ugh!" She pushed him away lightly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "That felt… I feel violated. Dork."

“And, I don’t?” He joked. “You goof.”

She laughed. "Alright. I give. Any more battle strategies, or is it just time to relax?"

He laid down on the bed. “I’m relaxing. I don’t want to think anymore.” He smiled up at her.

She nodded, rolling out of the bed and retreating to the bathroom for a minute. When she came back, she carefully climbed on top of him, kissed the tip of his nose, and started to roll off of him. A small mischievous smile graced her features.

“What is with that look?” He chuckled at her.

"Dunno. You're just so readable. Your face is so expressive." She responded, laying next to him and draping an arm over his midsection. Her eyes closed. "I wish I weren't so tired."

He turned, and faced her, yawning as he did so. “I know the feeling.” He gave her a small kiss, and got up to use the bathroom, coming back out wearing his night clothes. He laid down next to her, and moved her arm back around him before wrapping an arm around her. “Now, I'm ready for sleep.” He yawned.

She nodded into him, resting her forehead on his chest. "Sleep well, As. Love you."

“Love you, too.” He mumbled. “Sleep well.”

Magdiana's light snores greeted his ears shortly thereafter. A few minutes later, she started making small sounds in her sleep, and she unconsciously wiggled into him. It was hard to tell if she was even sleeping, but it became apparent that she was when she started speaking incoherently- right up until she said his name.

Astero heard her mumbles and his name. He was a light sleeper. He gently pulled her to him, trying to calm her dreams, as it were. He eventually got to sleep, and, when he did so, he unconsciously wrapped a leg around her like a small child cuddling a teddy bear.

Magdiana awoke thoroughly enveloped in the arms and legs of Astero. She was wrapped tightly in his arms, and content to enjoy the feeling for a bit longer. She didn't feel the need to move at the moment, so she simply closed her eyes and enjoyed the comforting feeling of being close to him for awhile longer. Unfortunately, like her, he was an early riser, and, soon, he was making the sounds and movements of wakefulness as well. "Good morning." She whispered, kissing him underneath his chin since she couldn't reach further from her position.

Astero blinked a few times, looking her over before he gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Good morning.” He smiled at her. “Sleep well? I heard you mumbling last night.” He told her, holding her close for a bit longer.

"Just having a dream." She told him honestly. "A good one."

“Involving me?” He smirked.

"Yes." She responded.

“I figured. I heard you say my name.” He told her. 

She nodded, trying not to blush. "It was a really good dream."

He shook his head slightly, and gave her a small kiss. “I bet it was.” He chuckled, getting up to use the bathroom.

She sat up, and rubbed her eyes, making her way to her pack and getting changed while she waited for Astero to leave the bathroom. She traded places with him when he left the room, and did her morning ablutions before returning to the bedroom. She sighed a bit. "Alright. I've got to go workout and, then, go to work. Then, time with Jacob and dinner with the family. See you later tonight?"

Astero walked over, and gave her a kiss. “Yeah, that’s fine. I'll see you then.” He smiled at her.

Magdiana kissed him briefly before running out of the bedroom. She waved goodbye to a very interested Raze, and heard her mutter, "Wake will be so interested to hear about this when he gets back soon."

Magdiana didn't have time to respond, though. Instead, she started her run, making it to work just in time. That day, she learned that the person who had ordered the midnight tears before had placed a new, larger order for other poisons. She felt much more useful, knowing that she was helping the business, and, at the end of the day, she was given a nice bonus as a thanks for bringing in such a good customer. When the workday was through, she went home and worked with Jacob on his dagger skills before dinnertime came again. She was eating quickly and not speaking. She just wanted to go see Astero.

"Magdiana." Her father stated. "You can stop to breathe. There's extra."

Magdiana was so in her own world that she didn't hear him. She just continued to eat.

Eri looked at Magdiana and sighed. She leaned in slightly, and said at almost a whisper. “Astero's here.”

"Hmm?" Magdiana's head perked up, and she looked around at the table. "Where?"

Eri laughed. “He’s not actually here. Sorry.” She frowned slightly, chuckling as she spoke. “You were so caught up in your own world that you didn’t even hear your father tell you to slow down, spoken at a regular tone. Not a whisper.” She explained, leaning back in her seat a bit.

"Sorry." She sighed, putting her fork down. "Honestly, I just need a day off. My training schedule is killing me along with work. It's so much busier than I'm used to, and I promised to go see Astero tonight."

Both of her parents chuckled as she said the last part of her sentence. Though, it was Marius who spoke first. “So, that means the talk went well last night?” He smiled at her.

Magdiana suddenly blushed, realizing what she'd said. "Oh, uh, yeah. I guess."

“Well, that's good to hear.” Marius smiled at her. “We're glad that things are going well for you. I would still like to meet him. Maybe, you could bring him over for dinner some night?” He asked her curious to meet the man who had enamoured his daughter.

Magdiana nodded. "I… uh, yeah. I could. Just, please, don't smite him… or, at least, not too hard. I really like him."

Marius chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that unless he hurts you. Even then, I'm sure you'll beat me to the punch.” He laughed.

Eri looked at Marius with a smirk. “Even if you did smite him, he could take it. I saw a bit of their fight with Wake. He's strong.” She smiled, and gave Magdiana a little wink.

"Thanks." Magdiana placed her face in her hand. "Yes, I would stab anybody who tries to hurt me, and, yeah, we're both trained fighters. He's stronger than me."

“I figured as much.” Marius chuckled. “And, relax. We're only joking.” He looked at Jacob for a moment. “Hey, think you and your sister can take a break for a little bit with your exercise?” he asked him.

Jacob looked at his Dad and then to his sister. “Yeah, we can take a break.” He murmured with a slight frown. “It won’t be for too long. Right?” He asked Magdiana.

"Uh, well, no, but I'm kind of exhausted. You've got me training twice a day, buddy." She said honestly.

He frowned a bit more. “Sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to do that to you.” He apologized, moving to give her a hug.

"No, please don't apologize. I like spending time with you, but, maybe, we could stick to board games or something for awhile?" She offered.

Jacob smiled as she said that. “Oh, yeah! That would be fun.”

"Deal." Magdiana said, finishing the last bite of her meal. " She wiped her face with her napkin. "May I please be excused?"

Eri smiled at her daughter. “Yes, you may, dear.” She chuckled.

Magdiana got up, placed a kiss on Jacob's temple, and gave a hug to each parent, bringing her plate to the kitchen and rinsing it before running to her bedroom to change and pack her bag. When she exited her bedroom, she found her parents still at the dinner table. She started to walk to the front door. "Please don't wait up. I don't know when I'll be back."

Eri smiled, and waved her off. “It’s fine, dear. Have a good night.” 

Marius waved as well. “Stay safe out there.” He smiled at her.

“Bye, sis!” Jacob smiled at her.

"Later!" She called out, practically running to The Rook. She wanted to see Astero, and, damned it all, if she didn't want to get out of the house before her parents started to give her the talk again.

Astero’s day was actually rather slow by comparison to the last few days that he had been working. It was a welcome relief for him to be able to actually sit down for once while at work. He chatted with Grace a bit and learned that she was married and, also, Gordan’s daughter. He looked at the two of them a few times, and shook his head. “I don’t see any resemblance, I'm guessing you take after your mother then, huh?” He chuckled. "That is, unless he's your fruncle or something?"

Grace nodded, and smiled, letting out a little laugh over his bad joke. “You're right I am like her, which I'm thankful for. It's helped me immensely.” She teased her father. 

Gordan scoffed, and leaned back in his chair. “It might have helped you now, but, in thirty years, you'll start to look like me.” He chuckled.

Astero laughed at the two of them. “You two are some of the best entertainment.” He smiled.

“Oh, really?” Grace huffed, crossing her arms, and sitting back in her chair. “Well, you're a pretty good show yourself, Mr. 'I give pastries to my girlfriend’.” She smirked in victory at the look on Astero's face.

Astero turned a bit red when she said that. “So, what? It was only the one, and, gods only know, we have plenty more.” He replied defensively.

Gordan chuckled heartily. “We do have plenty of them, and you must really like her if you’re getting this worked up over a simple gesture like that.” He grinned.

Grace smiled at Astero. “You two must be all over each other with the looks I’ve seen you share.”

Astero looked at Gordan and, then, to Grace, his face red out of embarrassment. “Okay. Yeah, I like her a lot. Alright? Is that better?” He asked them rhetorically. “And, no!” He said a bit louder to Grace. “We’re not all over each other. We barely have time to see one another. Let alone hang out.” He sighed, slumping back into his chair. 

Grace giggled. “We’re only messing with you. We don’t care who you date. It’s your life to live.” She smiled.

“Exactly.” Gordan added. “And, I apologize for working you like I have.” He told Astero sincerely. “You are a hard worker, and I appreciate you for that. Don’t worry. You’ll be getting a few days off after tomorrow. Then, we’ll start figuring out a schedule for everyone. We all need days to ourselves.” He told them. 

“That sounds good.” Astero replied happily. “It would be nice to sleep in.” He smiled.

“Soon.” Grodan chuckled. “Just one more day. For now, let's get back to work.” He said, seeing a small group approach the door.

Astero nodded, and quickly made his way into the kitchen, working with a newfound vigor as he now knew he only had one more day to go before being able to spend more time with Magdiana. He was glad that she had been spending the night, but he really just wanted to talk with her for more than an hour or two before they both fell asleep. By the end of the day, Gordan closed up the store early, and Astero went home with some time on his hands. So he got some food to make a treat for Mag when she arrived later. He grabbed some fruit, small sponge cakes, and whipped up some cream for a light dessert since he figured she would have already eaten with her parents. The dessert was done in record time, so, with his spare time, he just sat back and read while he waited for her. 

An hour or so later, Aster greeted Magdiana with a smile when she knocked on his door. “Good evening.” He smiled, pulling her into the room, and giving her a kiss. “How was your day?” He inquired, shutting the door behind her.

"Exhausting again, but I got a bonus for bringing in a new repeat customer. And, it sounds like I'm getting weekends off, so just one day to go until then." She smiled, stepping in. "How about you?"

He smiled widely back at her. “Great! Today was a slow day, so I got off a little early. And, guess what? I’ll be getting weekends off as well. Just one more day!” He grinned.

She hugged him out of nowhere. "That's wonderful." She murmured as she held him for a minute.

He hugged her back, and held her close. “It’ll be nice to actually have time off. We need it.” He chuckled, moving away slightly but still hugging her.

"I think that I might have to actually sleep at my parents' place soon. I think they're getting suspicious." She told him with a sigh. "And, they want you to come for dinner sometime."

Astero sighed, and hung his head a bit. “I don’t really want to, but I will.” He told her. “It might, at least, get you some space.” 

"Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with their not raising me. They weren't there for dates, and the talk, and all that. So, you're their lucky victim. I'm sorry." She sighed, and whispered lowly. "These better be my real fucking parents, or, I swear, there will be stabbings."

“Oh boy!” He replied sarcastically. “It’s not the first time I’ve been the lucky pick.” He sat down on the bed, pulling her with him, and whispering lowly for her. “If they aren’t, I'll help you.” Astero told her seriously.

Magdiana removed her daggers, and sat down on the bed. "I really feel like they are. You don't just act how they're acting, and Jacob seems to be enough like me that I feel like we're related. But, that letter has really fucked me up."

“I know.” He sighed deeply. “I keep trying to look out for the guy that ran into me, but I doubt I’ll ever see him again. For a minute there, I thought he could give us clues.”

"I think that, at this point, we can only trust people by their actions. The fact that the guy left you a cryptic message and disappeared into the ether makes me think that he's just trying to fuck with us, but I obviously don't have proof of that." She tried to explain. "I feel like we can trust Raze and Wake more than him."

Astero nodded. “Yeah. Wake and Raze have been pretty straight forward with us, but that guy, and whoever my ‘brother’ is, if they wanted to tell us stuff, they should be up front. Not skirting around, and watching us from a distance.” He sighed a bit, looking up at her.

"Yeah, it's more creepy than helpful." Magdiana told him, leaning in, and kissing his cheek. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you."

Astero leaned in, and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” He whispered with a small smile. “And, I’ll be here for you.”

"You know, I feel like we’ll see a big difference during our next fight with Wake. I feel much more in synch with you than before. Like, I know your moves, but, now, we might be able to collaborate better or something. I hate that he's right, though." She laughed. "He strikes me as one of those smug 'I told you so' types. Also, I think he's coming back soon. Raze said something this morning."

“Yeah, I feel the same way. Like, now we are better able to think about what the other one is thinking.” He smiled. “And, yeah, I think he’ll be back soon. I overheard some people say things about shipments coming soon.” Astero laughed, standing up. “By the way, are you hungry? I made some dessert since I had time this afternoon.”

"Oh, I will not say no to sugar right now." She nearly moaned.

“Then, give me just a moment.” Astero chuckled, and walked over to the tiny kitchenette, grabbing the dessert and bringing it back with a small fork, handing both to her. “Enjoy.” He said, sitting down next to her.

She took a bite before stabbing another piece and offering it to him. "Have you had any?"

Astero leaned in and took a bite, licking his lips of the cream. “I figured you would want some more than me. Also, since it was slow today, I had time to eat.” He told her honestly.

"You still deserve a treat, you know." Magdiana took another bite. "You work your ass off. I've seen it."

He smiled, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for thinking about me.” He chuckled. “But, I can assure you that I get my fair share of treats. How do you think that I came up with that?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged. "Well, that's obvious, but I never see you eat sweets. Well, ever, and it's kinda nice to know that, and I know you're going to laugh, you eat it too and don't think of me as a pig or something."

He laughed. “No, I don't think of you like that. If anything, you have only ever seen me hold back while eating. I look like a savage when I get really hungry.” He chuckled.

"I kind of figured. Sometimes, after a big workout, I eat two whole meals in under twenty minutes. You probably have to eat more than me." She surmised.

He nodded, and held up two fingers. “Two whole cooked chickens. It was a long, tiring day, I hadn't eaten, and I trained for most of the day. It was bad.”

She took another bite of dessert. "Exactly. We could competitively eat against each other." This made her laugh.

“As fun as that sounds, I'm gonna pass.” Astero chuckled. “It would make hugging and sleeping risky.” He shivered a bit.

"Oh, I was definitely not suggesting it." She paused, taking the last bite of the sweet. "I'm not nearly competitive enough to make myself physically ill from eating."

“For that, I'm glad.” He smiled, and took the plate from her, moving to clean it. He returned a moment later, and sat down on the bed next to her again. “So, feeling better?” Astero asked her with a smile.

"Much. Thank you." She smiled. "So, what are we going to do with all of our time off this weekend?"

He chuckled, and shook his head a bit. “I'm not entirely sure. Sleeping in is going to be number one on that list for sure, though.” He laughed at that. “But, I was thinking of actually going swimming.”

She smiled. "I would love that. Might need to get a suit, though."

Astero looked over her for a moment, imagining a swimsuit she might pick. “There's probably a place in town that sells them.”

"Probably." She hummed a bit before blushing. "There's some of those that leave very little to the imagination."

“I mean, I wouldn't complain about it.” He said blushing a bit. “But, that's your call.”

"I guess, I'll see what I like. I've never had one before." She laughed, pulling at her collar. "It's too hot here."

“Yeah.” He laughed. “It still feels weird wearing the new clothes I got. I feel exposed.”

She nodded. "And, still overheated as hell. I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

“Don’t remind me. At least, when it gets to the winter, we'll laugh in the faces of everyone.” He chuckled.

"I doubt it gets below freezing all that often here. We'll probably be wearing short sleeves still." She chuckled.

“Yeah, and shorts.” He smiled at her.

"We could probably walk barefoot." She added.

“While eating ice cream.” He added as well, laughing as he did so. “Ah. It's going to be so much better living here.”

She nodded. "Some things will be really nice."

Astero leaned back on the bed, resting his back against the wall. His grabbed her hand, and rubbed it with his thumb. “Having you here is going to be the best bit, though.” He smiled at her.

"I'm glad that we have each other now." Magdiana smiled sweetly, kissing him on the lips. "I love you."

“I love you.” He said, staying there for a long moment before pulling away. “I’m glad we told each other. Otherwise, this would have been an awkward mess.” He chuckled.

"We would be still figuring out the team building thing." She laughed.

“Yeah, arguing over which puzzle piece goes where.” He laughed.

She smiled. "I actually brought a puzzle with me the day before yesterday, but it never made it out of my bag."

“That’s silly.” He smiled at her before looking at the clock and seeing it was still relatively early. “So, what do you want to do in the meantime?” He asked her. “We've still got awhile before we should sleep.”

She dug through her bag, and pulled out the puzzle. "It's a big one. Want to get it started?"

“Yeah, alright.” He chuckled, and got up to get the table ready for them to use. “What's the picture of?” He asked, moving some things to the side.

"It's a seascape with a beach and boats." She showed him the picture.

“Oh, it's nice.” He smiled, nodding at the picture. “It'll certainly give us some time to kill.” 

She started to open the box on the coffee table. "Yeah. I figured we could build and chat."

“Fine by me.” He smiled at her, beginning to move pieces from the box to the table. Astero collected the border pieces before starting to put them together. He glanced up at her. “So, work is going well, then?”

"It's going surprisingly well." She told him. "I'm getting paid a regular rate and bonuses when Charlie sees fit. The bonuses are nice."

“That's good. He seems like a good guy.” He nodded, putting two pieces together.

She started to sort the other pieces by coloring, seeing he had the borders well in hand. "Yeah. He keeps a lot close to his chest, but he pays well and isn't an asshole."

“Well, if he runs a poisons shop, I would keep things close to my chest too.” He added, moving a bit of the border to some of her part and connecting it.

"Thing is… he didn't really sell all that many poisons until I came along. It was mostly potions and herbs." She looked over at him.

“Maybe, he wasn’t as good as you are. You've been making them since you were young.” He said, looking back at her.

She nodded. "Not something I'm proud of, but it's true."

“And, you’re very good at it.” He said lightly nudging her. He then began to work on the next edge.

She started to work on assembling the pieces of a boat. "I'm still sorry that I was told to use them on you during some bouts back then." She looked uncomfortable. "That wasn't cool."

He moved closer to her, and put an arm around her. “Hey. It’s alright. I'm still here.” He told her honestly. “I’m sorry for using you for target practice with my spells. That was fucked up.” He frowned.

"I don't have any scars or anything." She shrugged. "If they were good at one thing with us, it was keeping us alive."

He smiled at her. “Yes, they were, and, now, we're good at keeping each other alive.” He chuckled.

"Better soon, I hope." She added. "I want to ask my Mom to show me more cleric stuff."

“Do it.” He told her. “No better person to ask.”

"Anything would be better than just the one cantrip and the one healing spell." She giggled. "I'm pretty sure I can make holy water and shit."

“The holy water I approve of. Not so much the shit.” He joked at her.

She laughed. "Oh, very funny."

“I'm hilarious.” He chuckled.

"Sometimes." She smirked. "I really want to catch up to you strength-wise. You can attack like four times in a few seconds with your sword. I can't keep up with your damage output, but, if I was a better cleric…" She trailed off.

He took her face in his hands, and lightly pressed her face together. “You're going to be terrifying.” He told her, shaking her head lightly. “And, you can already take me down from, like, any position…” He blushed slightly as he said that. “It’s really impressive.”

She giggled at his blush. "You like that I can wrestle you down." Her voice was low and promised much.

“Honestly, I like you wrapping around me.” He replied, looking into her eyes. “Legs and all.” Astero's voice took on the same timbre as hers.

She put down the few puzzle pieces she was holding, and slowly moved into his lap, straddling him before kissing his lips softly. "Like that?" She played.

He grinned at her, and ran a hand down her back. “Yes, but with a bit more coiling.” He said, running his other hand underneath her shirt.

She closed her eyes, feeling his hand on her. "You're lucky I took the daggers off, As."

“You know they wouldn’t have stopped me.” He grinned, kissing her softly.

She grinned into the kiss. "I can practically feel you taking them off of me. I like the thought."

“It’s not a bad one at all.” He smirked, moving his hand to the back of her head, and pulling her close to him, kissing her longingly. 

She kissed him back, licking his bottom lip with her tongue. Her stomach clenched in excitement, and she breathed heavily before moving away only slightly so their lips weren't touching. "Sorry. I don't want to rush if you don't want to."

He leaned his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. “I don’t want to rush into this. I really don’t, but I really want you.” Astero whispered to her sincerely. His fingers coiled in her hair, gently rubbing her scalp in a soothing manner.

"Same." She whispered. "I want more than a physical relationship. I mean, that part will be nice, but I want all of you not just your body."

“I have a feeling that part will be spectacular.” He quietly chuckled still looking into her eyes. “No matter what happens, though, you next to me is just fine.” He whispered softly.

"I'm thinking that you're right. That part will be pretty phenomenal." She trailed her fingers down his back slowly. She placed her forehead on his chest to rest. "But, just hearing your comfortable breathing and heartbeat are nice too."

He smiled at her, and moved his hands up to hold her close. He sighein contentment simply enjoying their closeness. “This is nice.” He stated quietly, feeling her heartbeat with his hands. “Just... be careful how you move. You might run into something.” He admitted.

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have done this." She apologized. "I'm an idiot. I know how this works."

“No. I'm glad you did this.” He told her honestly. “Now, we both know more about the other. Team building.” He chuckled.

"Team building." Magdiana laughed with him. "Do you want me to help with your problem?" She offered quietly.

Astero paused for a long moment. “I wouldn’t say no.” He responded just as quietly as she had spoken.

She looked him in the eyes before wiggling a little further away from him and trailing her hands down his from his chest between them. When her hands met their quarry, she smiled a bit, but she also was blushing. She rubbed through his pants a couple of times before her hands started to work on the button and zipper there. "I haven't even done anything yet." She commented playfully. "Wait until I'm really trying."

“You've always been a tease.” He chuckled, moving his hands down her back, and playfully slapping her ass with one hand. “You still haven’t even seen what I can do yet.” He grinned mischievously.

She smiled a bit wider. "I never intended to tease, if that's what I did." Her hands finally released the button and zipper. She copied her motions from earlier through his underwear. "And, I can't wait to see what you can do when the time comes."

He ran his hands down her legs, feeling her curves as he did so. "Just let me know when, and I'll return the favor.” He promised in a sultry voice.

Her hands slipped beneath the waistband of his underclothes, and she gripped him firmly but lightly. Her thumb rubbed a little precum from his head, and she moved her hands up and down at a slowly increasing pace until she found one that he seemed to like. "I've never been great at announcing when I require reciprocation. I promise that I'll try." She admitted.

Astero closed his eyes as Magdiana's hands worked him carefully. She kept at a steady pace, and he let out a small moan. He looked at her, and leaned in to give her a kiss. “You're good at this.” He told her honestly. “Don’t worry. We'll both figure it all out. Together.”

She kissed him back, finding herself grinding into him a bit unconsciously. When she pulled away, she panted a bit. Her hands kept going at the pace he liked. Her eyes were watching his reactions and nothing else. She wanted to see what she did to him. Her second hand reached further down to cup and play with his balls, and she smiled at his reaction. It was nice to see him enjoying himself.

He was enjoying what she was doing to him. He could now feel that her hips were grinding into his leg, and he smiled a little at her. His hands trailed up her legs, and he slowly began to rub in between the apex of her legs while his other hand worked the button on her pants. “I think you might need some help, too.” He grinned, feeling her wetness through her pants.

"Don't need, but want." She corrected. "Like I said yesterday, it's been awhile, but I can take care of myself, if need be." She told him a bit more boldly. She adjusted herself on his lap so his hands would have an easier time without bumping into hers too much.

He undid the button on her pants, and pulled her zipper down as far as it would go. He moved one hand under her panties slowly working his way to her clit. “Then, let’s help each other with our problems.” He offered, beginning to rub circles around her mound while trying to find the movements she liked best.

Magdiana was breathing hard as his Astero's touched her. "Okay." She whispered in acquiescence. She was beyond stopping him. Her hands played with and worked him, and she licked her lips unconsciously. She wanted to taste him.

He pulled her head into his, and kissed her his tongue exploring her mouth. His hand continued to rub her occasionally teasing her entrance as he worked. Her hands were moving faster now, and he was sure she was unaware of it. 

She kissed him and tried not to buck into his hand. She failed. Her hands touched, and felt him. He was getting close, that much, she could tell. She wanted to see him release. It would be the most beautiful sight she'd ever witnessed. Astero kept her grounded as she felt his fingers try to bring her to new heights with him. She moaned.

He pulled away from her slightly to see the moan on her face, that look even the sound, was beautiful to him. Her hands were working him well, and he groaned. He knew it wouldn’t be much longer before he was spent. He knew it wasn’t a race, but he wanted her to cum first. He liked to be a gentleman in that regard. He moved his fingers inside of her as deep as he could go given their position, and used his thumb to rub her clit as his fingers moved in and out.

"As." Magdiana whined as she felt his fingers enter her. Her hips thrust into him, but her hands didn't stop. Her eyes opened and closed in ecstasy and desire to watch Astero's pleasure. Her head moved back, exposing her neck, and she was panting heavily.

Astero kissed down her neck to her collar bone. He felt a wave of pleasure begin to hit him. “Mag, don’t stop.” He panted heavily as his fingers continued to move in and out of her. He moved his other hand down to her waist to hold onto her as he was about to cum.

She played with him, slightly increasing her speed to make him go over the edge. She was watching him, very aware of his every movement. She felt his fingers work her, and let out a little mewl of pleasure. He was doing a very good job, but she was too far gone to tell him as much. She opened her mouth, and leaned into his ear, whispering, "Cum for me, As."

Astero nodded for her, and let himself cum from her machinations. He slowed his fingers to a crawl after he came. He blinked for a moment, reveling in the feeling before he looked back at her and began to move his fingers again. “Thank you, Mag.” He whispered, kissing her softly. “Now, it's my turn to help you.” He said, leaning her back to rest her back against the table and using his other hand to rub her mound, as his fingers sped up.

"You're… welcome." She panted. She could hardly form the words. Her hips moved into his hand, and her eyes closed, now. She moved her hands to grab his shoulders, clenching him for support. "Mmmm." She hummed with pleasure.

His fingers moved at the same speed, but he began to curl them up and into her as he moved them. His other hand pressed firmly against her mound, rubbing small circles around her. He watched as her body reacted to his movements, and her head rolling backwards in pleasure. He waited until she looked him in the eyes again before he leaned in and whispered to her. “Cum for me, Mag.” 

Her body began to clench and writhe around his fingers. Moans left her lips, and her eyes closed, tearing themselves from his as she submitted to just feeling. He didn't let up in his movements until she'd grown still beneath him, and, when she could make words again, she told him. "You're amazing."

He leaned in, and kissed her softly. “You're not so bad yourself.” He smiled back at her slowly removing his hands from inside of her, and casting Prestidigitation on the two of them to clean them up. “You made quite the mess.” He joked at her.

"Right." She laughed. "Me. By myself."

“Okay. You had a little help.” He chuckled.

"A little." She joked back, looking down and back up at him significantly. She pecked him on the cheek. "So much for waiting," She sighed. Then, she looked at the table she was on. "And the puzzle."

Astero chuckled seeing several puzzle pieces scattered across the floor. He shook his head a bit, and looked at their situation. He looked at Magdiana with a small smile. “Yeah, we might have jumped the gun a little bit.” He half chuckled.

"A little." She replied carefully sitting up and climbing off of the table. She grabbed the misplaced bpuzzle pieces and tossed them back onto the table. "I'm suddenly exhausted."

He nodded and stood up. “Yeah.” He agreed, looking at the puzzle. “Let's get some sleep. We can worry about that later.” He waved flippantly. A puzzle would always be there later

"Do you mind if I sleep how I normally would tonight?" She asked, looking over at him. "I normally dress a bit different."

He shook his head at her. “I don’t mind," He trailed off as a yawn hit him. “So long as I can do the same.”

She looked at him, and smiled. "Oh, good. I thought it was just me. Thanks for thinking of me before, though, but, please be comfortable."

Astero smiled back. “I try to be courteous.” He joked, moving over to a dresser and pulling out a baggy t-shirt before changing into it. He sat on the bed, removed his pants, and climbed in. He was wearing only a shirt and boxers.

Magdiana eyed him before taking off her own shirt, which revealed her bra. She divested herself of that, and peeled off her tight fitting pants, leaving just a small pair of panties. "I'm not ashamed. I've basically been sleeping naked since… high school?"

He looked over her body intently, admiring her figure. “I'm not complaining.” He admitted, smiling at her while watching her body move as she walked. “Not at all.” 

She chuckled at his reaction. "We are sleeping." She half-threatened, but her eyes roaming his body again betrayed her true feelings.

“I know, but it's been awhile since I've had a nearly naked woman in my room. I'm just admiring the view.” Astero told her seriously.

"Thank you." She said, climbing into the bed with him. She put her back to his chest and stomach, cuddling into him. "I love you, Astero." Magdiana spoke the words just above a whisper.

“I love you, Magdiana.” Astero replied, pulling her close to his chest, and savoring the feeling of her soft skin against his. He closed his eyes and whispered back softly into her pointed ear. “Sleep well.”

"You too." She told him as her eyes closed, and sleep quickly took her. The soft snores of sleep filled the room moments later.


	7. En Passant

Astero awoke in the morning feeling refreshed and well rested. He looked to see a still mostly naked Magdiana sleeping soundly next to him, and smiled. She looked incredibly peaceful when she slept. He moved an arm around her to hold her, enjoying her warmth next to his. A few short minutes later, he felt her begin to stir awake. “Morning.” He whispered softly to her.

"Morning." She murmured. "How'd you sleep?"

“Much better.” He replied, stretching and popping his back in the process. “How'd you sleep?” He asked her.

"I amend my words from a few days ago. That was the best rest of my life." She told him, turning over in her place to look at him. Her lips met his briefly. "I could get used to this."

“Yeah, this is nice.” He murmured with a small smile. “And, it will only get better.”

She looked at him oddly. "Better? I'm not following."

“Well, hopefully soon, we'll have our own place.” He explained simply. “And, also, last night was child's play. The morning after that will be the best sleep ever.” He joked with her.

She looked at the sheets. "Oh. Speaking of which, how much do you think we need? I'm up to about one hundred gold that isn't spending money."

“I’m at around the same.” He replied, doing some math in his head. “I think that, if we get to around five hundred a piece, we might be able to at least put a down payment on one.” He said honestly.

She nodded. "Maybe, we should look for adventuring work. Might give us a nice lump sum."

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea, and we do have some days off coming up.” He added.

"I'm in." She nodded resolutely, rolling over him and out of the bed to get dressed. "I've got to go work out."

He nodded, and got up to get dressed as well, watching her as she changed. ”Same. I need to get to work here soon, too.” He sighed a bit. “Are you going to be here tonight or are you staying with the parents?” He asked her curiously.

"I'm coming here tonight." She told him. "I feel bad for you. Your boss likes to work early. Charlie likes sleep."

“Lucky.” Astero half-heartedly complained, sticking his tongue out at her before walking over and giving her a kiss. “So, then, what are our plans for tomorrow? We both have the day off right?” He asked her seriously.

"Three things." She held up her fingers and ticked off items as she listed them. "Sleep in. Nice breakfast together. Adventure."

“That. Sounds. Delightful.” He smiled giving her three small kisses as he spoke. “In that case, I will see you later.” He told her, making his way to the door.

She nodded. "Yeah, see you." She ran out the bedroom door and past the front desk where a red and blue tiefling stood next to each other. 

The blue tiefling looked to the red one. "Oh, I've missed interesting developments."

“You have no idea.” Raze smiled at her husband.

“What have I missed exactly?” Wake asked, looking at his wife before seeing Astero make his way out of the building next.

Raze smiled, and walked over to a booth, taking a seat and waiting for Wake to join her. “Well, from what I can tell since they haven’t talked to me in days,” She frowned a bit before continuing. “They got jobs and have become a couple.” She smirked. “And, they aren’t hiding it well.”

Wake leaned back, and sighed in the booth. “When I meant team building, I meant, like, running or sports not to explore each other's nethers.” He sighed deeply. “Fucking kids.”

“Hey, we were young and stupid too. Let them figure it out.” Raze defended the pair.

“You're right.” Wake smiled at his wife. “For now, I need a drink.”

Astero's day at work was busier than the day prior, but it was still slow enough for him to relax. He spent some time prepping the food as well as trying out a few new items for people to order. By the day's end, he was tired but happy. He finally had a few days off, and was looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. When he arrived back at The Rook, Astero actually saw Wake this time around. Astero sighed as he walked up to the Captain.

“Hello, Astero, how have you been?” Wake asked with a smile.

“Well, I've been better. I thought you would be back in a few days?” Astero asked him. “Why so soon?”

“Tailwinds. Makes travel go so much faster.” Wake replied honestly, looking over Astero curiously. “You've been busy. What are you doing now?” He asked him.

“I'm working as a cook.” Astero replied. “So, far it's been good.” 

“Well, I'm glad.” The tiefling smirked at Astero, lacing his fingers together as he listened. His interest apparent. “So, how's the team building?”

Astero saw Wake's look, and shook his head. “It’s going well. We aren’t fighting, and we're getting along well.” He explained honestly without going into details. 

“I bet it is.” Wake chuckled.

“And, what is that supposed to mean?” Astero asked, getting defensive. 

“Oh, it could mean anything. From working hard together, to getting hard together. If you catch my drift?” Wake pressed on, nudging Astero slightly.

In one swift motion, Astero grabbed Wake's arm, and threw him up and over himself, making the tiefling fall on his ass. Now that Wake on the other side of the young man, Astero leaned down and got close to the Captain's face. “Hey, Wake?” 

“Yeah?” The tiefling groaned, gripping himself in obvious pain.

“You talk too much.” Astero growled lowly, stepping over Wake, and going up to his room for the evening. “Night!” He called down.

“Oww.” Wake uttered, staying on the floor for a long moment. “Night.” He mumbled even though Astero didn’t hear it.

As soon as Charlie met Magdiana this morning, he set her to work on a superior healing potion, which required a minimum of twelve hours of very fussy work, and, so it was, that Magdiana worked from eight to eight without a break. By the time she was walking to her parents' home, it was already dark. Her hands were in her pockets, and she slouched as she walked. "What's the point?" She asked herself as she walked, stomach rumbling. "Oh, yeah. That's why."

She eventually made it home, and Jacob was already asleep. Her mother gave her a plate of food that she'd kept warm, and Magdiana ate until she felt bloated and sick. She'd been so hungry that she'd eaten through her stomach's warning to stop. 

With a groan, she packed her bag, yawning as she made to leave the house to go see Astero. "Later." She called to nobody in particular.

"Where are you going so late?" Eri asked curiously.

"I promised Astero that I'd come see him tonight before I knew I'd be working so late. I don't want to make him worry that I didn't show up." Magdiana answered mostly honestly. She didn't want to add that she hadn't slept in the house for several nights now, nor that she wasn't certain that her supposed parents could be trusted.

Eri frowned a bit, but nodded. “Oh. Okay, well, just make sure that you stay safe out there. Okay?” She asked with a worried look into Magdiana's eyes.

"I'll just go straight there. No detours. Might stay the night, though. Don't want to be walking back and forth too late." She said honestly this time. 

“Okay. Good to hear. Be safe." Eri half smiled, still looking on at her daughter with worry.

"Love ya." Magdiana said, hugging the woman and exiting the house. While she was strolling towards town, Magdiana sighed. Why did this have to be so difficult? She could come and go as she pleased, and she'd even snuck out without remorse on multiple occasions in Yutan. Eri and Marius must be her real parents. They were hovering and overprotective as fuck. But, there was still doubt in her. Were they, really? Or was it all an elaborate act?

Eventually, she was walking down the docks. It was dark, and there was very little movement. The people that were about all had determined looks and clear destinations ahead of them. She was much too burnt out for the gait of determination they carried, and Magdiana continued to walk slowly and almost robotically. The hairs seemed to raise at the back of her neck, and she ventured a glance over her shoulder. "Great." She muttered to herself as she noticed that she had a tag. She wasn't stupid enough to start running. Instead, she just continued her same lazy pace, trying to be vigilant without actually looking back at the man again. 

She followed the street towards The Rook, and, in the darkness, saw a body milling around the front entrance of the building. She let out a sigh. She couldn't tell if that person was a friend or in kahoots with the one following her, but she had a feeling that it was the latter. Her mind started to rush with scenarios, and she thought that she could probably take two people in a fight, if necessary. She slowed her pace, wanting the one behind her to catch up. Once he was closer, she looked over at him properly, eyeing weapon locations. "Oh, good evening. Didn't see you there. Out for a walk?" She asked him casually, but implying a lot with her words.

Her persuer did a double take, realizing she was acknowledging him. "Indeed, it's a fine night, lass. Afraid I'm out on business, though, so I'll have to be along soon."

Magdiana swallowed an internal groan. Fuck. That wasn't good. That meant he was here for her. "Oh, what sort of business is open at this time? I'm sorry that your employer has kept you from your family." She replied.

"Afraid it can't be helped." He shrugged, and she watched as his hand twitched towards a hidden dagger. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Telegraphing was a rookie mistake, but it was one that helped her in this case.

She whipped out a dagger, and had it impaled into his hand faster than he could react. "That's a shame. How can I help?" She told him sweetly, but, now, oozing implications with the thieves cant she'd been using.

Bleeding, his hand dripped on the ground as the other removed her dagger. He grunted, wiping it off and handing it to her. "Oh, you're good." He commented. "Here." He handed her a small pouch, and walked away. "Thanks for the remedies and whatnot this week."

She was about to ask what he meant when, suddenly, he disappeared in the whirl of a red cloak, and, behind her, the heavy footsteps of Astero could be heard. She would recognize those footsteps anywhere.

Astero jogged up, and hugged Magdiana tightly. “What took you so long?” He asked, looking her over closely. “I was getting worried.”

"Charlie needed a superior healing potion. Those take a long time to make. I wasn't done until after dark." She explained.

He let out a sigh of relief. “Okay. I thought that, maybe, something happened to you. I'm still on edge.” He murmured, gripping her hand. “I'm glad you’re alright.” He smiled at her.

She nodded, looking down at the pouch, and back at him. "Something did happen. Some guy followed me here."

Astero’s eyes looked around before settling on hers. “What did he look like?” He asked her intently.

"Halfling, maybe three and a half feet. Slight build. Black hair, short. Red cloak. Hidden weapons. Six of them. Two visible weapons." She responded, reciting what she'd seen using years of practice and training.

He sighed when the description didn’t match his encounter from the other day. “You're fine though, right?” He asked her with concern coloring his tone. “He didn’t hurt you?”

"No, he reached for a weapon, but I got him first. Then, he gave me this." She held up the pouch in her hand.

“Is it coin?” He asked, looking at it curiously.

She handed him the pouch. "Don't open it, yet." Then, she pulled a pair of gloves out of her bag before taking the pouch back and opening it. Inside were several bright silvery coins that she recognized as platinum pieces. "Uh, yeah. It's coin, but…" She trailed off.

“Holy shit.” He gaped, looking at the coins inside. “Why the fuck would someone try to reverse pickpoket you?” He asked her very confused.

"He said thanks for the remedies, but I'd never seen him before." She looked up at him before her fingers found a coin that felt different from the others. Her brow furrowed as she pulled out an elaborate and near black coin with an 'S' engraved in the design. "What's that?" She asked, holding it up.

Astero looked over the coin for several moments before he shook his head. “I have no fucking clue, so he came all this way to give you a tip? And, whatever that is?” His confusion was apparent on his face. He turned to look at Mag. “Let's get back inside. I can barely see out here.” 

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Let's head inside to shed some light on the subject." She offered, thinking about how she'd like for him to be able to see for a moment before the coin she was holding suddenly lit up with magically conjured light. "Of course, now, I cast a spell. Motherfucker."

He chuckled for a moment. “Come on. You must be tired.” He smiled, leading the way back to The Rook. Astero turned to look at her. “Just a heads up, Wake came back today.” Astero sighed. “And, I'm pretty sure he knows about us being a couple.”

"Of course, he does." She rolled her eyes. "He's a know it all."

“Yeah, I threw him over my shoulders. Was tempted to pin him, too." Astero winked at her. "He was hinting at the idea that we'd already done it.” He sighed.

"Oh, that doesn't bother me. He can think all he wants. When he starts acting like he knows or if he actually decides he knows, then, I've got a problem." She sounded deadly.

“And, that’s why I love you.” He chuckled, giving her a small peck on the cheek.

She smirked as his lips met her cheek. "Thank you for defending my honor." 

He puffed up his chest a small bit in pride. “You're very welcome, m’lady.” He said, giving her a small bow.

She nudged him playfully as they walked into The Rook, and her eyes met Wake's as he was standing behind the front counter. "Hey, Wake." Magdiana smiled at the Captain.

“Good evening, Magdiana.” Wake smiled at her. “How's your day been?” He inquired, looking the young couple over. 

"Exhausting. Worked twelve hours straight without a break." She responded honestly, punctuating her sentence with a huge yawn and starting to head towards the stairs.

“Well, have a wonderful night you two.” Wake chuckled at the pair. They thought they were being subtle, but it was anything but that.

A second later, Magdiana's gloved hand was releasing a dagger, and it embedded itself deeply into Wake's thigh. She stalked up to him, pulling the weapon out of his flesh, and mercifully healing him. On the inside, she hoped the healing itched or otherwise hurt him. "Next time, that'll hit something that Raze won't be happy about." Magdiana warned lowly, nearly growing at the Captain.

Wake winced, taking a few painful sounding heavy breaths as the dagger was pulled from his leg. He looked the two of them over, and nodded. ”Understood.” 

"Good." Magdiana muttered before climbing the stairs quickly to get out of earshot.

“Those two are perfect for each other.” Wake quietly commented to his wife. 

"They're kind of cute." Raze smirked. "And, he reminds me of a certain ship Captain from a little over a decade ago."

Wake chuckled at her comparison, and stood up, sauntering over to Raze. “And, she is like the fiery tavern owner that, that Captain fell in love with.” He smirked back at her.

Magdiana collapsed onto the bed, looking up to Astero. "I can't believe him. He's incorrigible. Could you tell how much platinum that was from before?"

“Don’t listen to him, Mag. He's just being an asshole because he can.” Astero sighed, sitting on the bed next to her. “And, no how much was it?” He asked her.

"Couldn't count it." Magdiana shrugged, taking out the bag and pouring the contents onto the sheets. It wasn't a massive amount, so it took her only a moment to count. "Fifteen. Gods. That's… insane."

“What did you make?” He asked her, moving closer, and looking at the platinum coins. He'd never actually seen one up close and personal before.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just started speaking in thieves cant to all the customers. Obviously, someone recognized it, and ordered poisons for once. After that, I just made what they ordered. Midnight tears and assassin's blood. Nothing special."

“Well, good job on having connections, then, I guess.” He sighed, handing her the coin back. He eyed it, but decided to let it lie for now.

"I feel like this is hush money." She sighed, picking up the coin and shoving it into her bag. "I wouldn't have said anything anyway. It's in my best interest to keep quiet."

“Either way, you got one hell of a good tip.” Astero enthused with a little chuckle.

She nodded. "Alright. Well, I've got two hundred fifty towards the house, then."

“And, I am sorely lagging behind, now.” He sighed, laying back on the bed. “It'll just take longer is all." He assured himself more than anything. Just more time.”

"Hey, don't sound like that. We're a team. Are we not? We both need one thousand gold. Together, we have three hundred fifty. That's great." She soothed him as she rubbed his arm comfortingly before starting to get changed and ready for bed. "I'm so looking forward to cuddling tonight." Magdiana told him as the dagger holster on her back came off after her overshirt.

He looked up at her, and smiled. “Yeah, you're right. We're a team.” Astero replied, standing up to take off his pants and remove his shirt. He walked up, and gave her a small kiss. “And, I'm looking forward to cuddling as well.” He smiled as he moved across the room to go use the bathroom.

Magdiana continued to disrobe and disarm herself, placing everything in a small pile on one of the chairs before Astero came back out of the bathroom. She traded places with him quickly cleaning up and seeing Astero already in bed when she returned to the room. She climbed into bed and under the covers with him, and started to wiggle her way over him to the other side. "Sorry." She apologized as she rubbed against him.

He shook his head. “I'm not complaining.” He smirked, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to him. “Much better.”

"Yeah." She sighed, resting her head on his arm. "This is nice."

“Yeah, you're very comfortable.” He murmured, squeezing her lightly.

She smiled though he couldn't see it in the dark, turning her head to kiss him before mumbling. "Goodnight, As. Love you."

“Goodnight, Mag.” He said kissing her lightly in return before she turned around. “Love you.”

When Magdiana awoke the following morning, it was dawn, and Astero was holding a very important piece of her while he was sleeping. She resisted the urge to giggle, and glanced outside. It wasn't bright. Only dawn. She closed her eyes, and let herself rest some more. She needed it.

Astero awoke, feeling a very soft and squishy object in his hand. He gave it a few light squeezes, trying to figure out what it was before he suddenly realized what he was holding. “Oh…” He whispered out loud, chuckling a little to himself before letting go. He looked at the time. It was only an hour later than he would normally get up, and he wasn’t tired. So, he decided to just stay still, keeping comfortable until Magdiana awoke. This was more than comfy enough.

Eventually, Magdiana stretched and groaned. Something firm was behind her. What was that? Her mind wasn't sure. She reached behind her, and felt something fabric. Her hand rubbed a couple more times, trying to figure out what it was while her mind tried to process things as well. Curiosity got the better of her, and she turned over to find a pair of grey eyes staring back at hers. "Oh, hey, Astero." She murmured, pulling her hands away. "Sorry for violating you. Wasn't awake."

Astero chuckled a little. “It’s fine… I might have done the same when I woke up.” He admitted, grinning at her. “I think that makes us even.” He hugged her, brushing his lips against her forehead lightly.

"Oh, yeah." She smiled. "I woke up at dawn and you were like that." Magdiana let out a small chuckle. "It was kind of cute."

He leaned in, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you. You're very comfortable.” He chuckled.

"So are you." She lifted her head. "How's your arm? Is it okay?"

He pulled his arm out from under her, and gave it a small stretch. ”Yeah, it's fine. Not asleep today.” He replied, moving it back underneath for her to rest on. “How are you?”

"I could stay like this all day. I'm great." She kissed him slowly, letting herself linger. Her eyes closed when she moved away, and she rested her head on his offered arm.

“Thank makes two of us.” He smiled back into the kiss, enjoying the sweet taste of her lips on his. He stared into her green eyes for a long moment just letting himself get lost in their depths. “You're beautiful.” He told her with a serious time unable to lie.

She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating there. "I love you, Astero, but, if you keep speaking like that…" She blushed, trailing off.

“I love you, Magdiana, and I mean it." He said in turn, smiling at her, and gently brushing her cheek.

"You're quite handsome yourself, you know that?" She teased. Her legs moved, and she found them tangling with his. "Sorry."

“Thank you.” He replied, giving her a small kiss. “And, you don’t have to apologize. We slept mostly naked next to another. This was inevitable.” He chuckled at her as his free hand moved to rest at the curve of her hip. His fingers ran little gentle circles there.

She nodded. "You don't think this is rushing it? Maybe, I should've just kept wearing clothes to bed."

He looked her in the eyes, and back down between the two of them. “It's going faster than I was expecting,” He told her honestly. “But I like where we're at.”

"I do too." She told him, lifting his shirt a little and letting her hands run across the planes of his chest. "I really like what I see."

He sighed at the feeling of her cooler skin on his abs. “Oh, that feels nice.” He moved his hand from her hip down between them, and trailed his fingertips over her stomach up to her chest. “And, I like what I see too.”

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "It's taking a monumental effort not to jump you right now." She admitted.

Astero chuckled at her words in response to his machinations. “That's funny. Because I have no issues staying this way right now.” He told her as his eyes were simply taking in her beauty.

Magdiana's eyes opened, and gazed into his. "We can't take it back if we do something now." She told him steadily.

He nodded at her in understanding. His fingers remained still where they were, touching her soft and supple skin. “I know. The second we follow through. It's all or nothing.”.

Magdiana half-whined, half-moaned. "You're evil."

He raised an eyebrow. “What? You want me to say ‘let's fuck, and get it over with’? Don’t get me wrong; you're gorgeous in every sense of the word, and I would be a fucking lunatic to not sleep with this.” He admitted, gesturing to all of her. “But, I really am perfectly fine with laying here next to you. I love you so much. I don’t want to sleep with you.” Astero whispered to her honestly and vehemently.

"That's so sweet." She kissed him lightly. "And, I don't want to fuck and get it over with, but I really need to stop having dreams that star you in them."

He laughed a good bit. “How many nights have you had them?” He asked her seriously.

"That was the second in as many days." She admitted calmly, meeting his gaze steadily.

He made a thoughtful face. “Is it just the dreams?” He asked her curiously.

"What do you mean, just the dreams?" She asked. "I mean, I've never really slept and woken up in someone's arms like this night after night. Is that what you're going for?"

“No.” Astero replied, shaking his head lightly at her. “Do you think that us having sex is going to stop the dreams, or are you open to trying something else?” He asked her, looking over her body a little curiously as he did.

"I don't think having sex will stop the dreams." Magdiana shook her head a bit. "What's the something else?"

“Well, without mincing words. I eat you out.” Astero offered, trailing his fingers from their place at her chest down her side to her hip.

Magdiana's eyebrows rose. "Wow. I didn't expect that."

Astero nodded at her. “Yeah. Well, it’s either we keep getting each other off like we did, or just go for it.” He smirked. “Kinda figured we wouldn’t just go for it.”

"Okay." Magdiana told him, pushing him onto his back, and leaning over him. Her lips hovered just above his. "But, only if you fuck my face while you do it. Not mincing words, of course." She winked.

His eyebrows rose. “Wow. Okay. I guess we know what we’re doing, then.” He smiled at her.

She started to kiss him softly, letting her tongue explore, and letting her hands wander as she moved over to straddle his hips. Her hips ground into him as she used her tongue to tease his. A minute later, she pulled away, looking into his eyes. "Good morning." Magdiana murmured huskily as her chest heaved a little above him.

“Good morning to you, too.” Astero smirked as he let his hands wander down her sides, trailing his fingers across her soft skin. His hands eventually got to the sides of her panties. “Although I can work around them, it will be much easier if these come off.” He told her, tugging them down lightly.

She helped him remove the underwear that were in his way, and started to remove his shirt with her own nimble fingers. "Hey, you're going to be naked too." She giggled. "I don't want to be the only one."

He pulled her head down to kiss her longingly. As he did so, he took his boxers off, and slid her hips up onto his abs. He pulled away from her for a moment, and looked at her green eyes, hooded with lust. “Ta-da.” He chuckled, pointing downwards. “Now, we’re both on equal ground.”

Magdiana gazed at him in approval, admiring his sculpted body. "Gods, I love you." She told him with a little blush. "How did I get this lucky?"

“Hey. My eyes are up here.” Astero joked with her before leaning up and kissing her again. “I’m still trying to figure that one out myself.” He grinned into the kiss.

"You've been eyeing my chest for two days. It's my turn." She told him with a smile. She kissed him languidly for several minutes before she eventually scooted forward. "I'm ready for more."

He smiled at her, and lifted her to his mouth where he began to kiss around her most sensitive parts first. “Are you sure?” He asked breathing heavily onto her most sensitive bits. “I might just drive you mad.” He grinned

"Then, I went out with a bang." She laughed at her own joke. "I want to make you feel good, too. Turn me around?"

Astero did just that, and turned her around so she was looking down his body. “Better?” He asked, giving her nethers several feather light kisses just to tease her.

"Yes." She told him, massaging his ab and thigh muscles as she leaned down his body. Her own lips were close to his manhood. She looked back at him. "Is this okay?" She asked him for his approval in a sultry tone.

“Yes, it is.” He smiled back at her. His hands ran from her legs up to her hips, massaging as he went. He kissed her inner thighs, wanting to wait just a bit longer for her, so she could relax.

She enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her thighs, and reciprocated his actions, rubbing Astero’s muscles gently yet firmly. His actions made her pant with want and pleasure, and she realized after a moment that she was breathing onto his nethers. When she realized it, she giggled, and playfully ran her tongue over his shaft from base to tip.

He jumped ever so slightly at the sensation of her licking him. He smiled, and gently spread Magdiana’s legs further apart as he kissed her mound lightly, and teased her opening with his tongue. His hands massaged her legs as he slowly moved his tongue into her.

She moaned, and realized that it was rather loud. So, she silenced herself by lowering her mouth around his member. Now, each of the moans he pulled from her vibrated him in her mouth. Her tongue massaged him while her mouth sucked deeply around him. While she was sucking, he made her moan again.

Astero smiled with each moan he felt come from her mouth. He began to move his tongue in a circular motion inside of her while one of his hands moved to rub the bundle of nerves between the apex of her legs. He let out his own moan, which he hoped she felt in her nethers as he felt her moan around him again. His hips raised slightly from the mattress, grinding up and into her waiting mouth; face fucking her- like she wanted.

She bobbed her head with his motions, and started to suck only when he moved out of her mouth. Her hands moved. One played with his balls while the other massaged his legs. Sometimes, his ministrations would distract her, and she would pause for a second only to continue.

He let his hips speed up as he focused more on making her feel good. His tongue continued to swirl inside of her, and he brought his other hand down to her opening. As he did so, Astero lightly grazed her rear, but didn’t want to risk it just yet. One thing at a time. He gently worked his fingers into her, and alternated his hand and tongue, moving in and out.

With the addition of his fingers inside of her, Magdiana moaned so loudly around him that she was certain that the vibrations from her moan moved through his body into his fingers. He had her quivering, but she continued to suck him as he fucked into her mouth. She wouldn't be long now, but she still wanted him to enjoy himself while he brought her to the release she so desperately wanted.

Her moan made him stop, and he collected himself for a moment before he started moving in rhythm again. He made a note of what he’d done to elicit that visceral reaction from Magdiana, and continued back into pace he was previously at. He was getting close, but he just wanted her to cum first that was his sole focus for now.

Astero went back to doing what he'd done to steal the moans from her lips, and she couldn't help herself. She moaned again. She was moaning and panting, and the combination of his fingers and tongue sent her over the edge. As she came, she moaned around him as he fucked her face, wanting him to get off like he was getting her off. For a second after she finished, she went limp before sucking him again.

He felt her briefly go limp on top of him after she came hard around his fingers and tongue. He smiled, and slowed his pace, gently working his fingers now as he enjoyed her moans and sucking around him. His hips sped up a bit more. Astero was getting closer. He gave a small tap just before he was about to cum.

Magdiana felt him warn her that he was about to cum. She sucked him hard, swallowing all that she could, and licking him clean of any remnants. Eventually, she released his member with a popping noise, resting her head on his thigh. "Fuck," was the only word she could summon.

Astero sighed in content as she just laid on top of him. He ran his hands down her legs casually. “Yeah, that was good.” He sighed.

She carefully rolled off of him, and laid there beside him. She didn't bother turning around. Instead, she reached for his hand, and held it. "I love you, and sex is going to be so good that you'll make me get off in a minute flat."

“I love you.” He chuckled, squeezing her hand lightly. “But, it won’t be a minute. I’m good, but not that good.” He told her, closing his eyes and resting.

"Could've fooled me." She chuckled. "I need a shower now."

“We both do.” He added, looking at the time. “It’s already almost noon. Where did the time go?” He asked shocked.

She laughed. "We obviously needed the sleep. So much for part three of the plan, though."

“And part two.” He chuckled. “Unless brunch is good with you.”

"Brunch is always better than breakfast for me until you finally convince me otherwise." She told him honestly.

He sat up a bit to look at her directly. “Oh, I will make you a believer.” He smiled at her. “But, for now, brunch.” He said moving down to kiss her. “Now, go take a shower.” He told her.

"Want to conserve water?" She asked curiously. "I could use my back being scrubbed."

He hummed it over for a moment. “Okay. not that it would have taken much convincing.” He chuckled.

She smiled, hopping out of bed. "I can be very persuasive."

“She says while swaying her hips as she walks.” He smiled at her before getting out of the bed and following her to the bathroom.

She punctuated his sentence by spanking herself. "Yep." She walked into the bathroom, and started the shower, getting it to the comfortable temperature of skin peelingly hot. 

He grabbed the faucet, and turned it to a more manageable temperature. Just steaming. “Sorry, but I like my skin attached to my body.” He said, stepping into the shower to join her.

"Now, it's cold." She half-heartedly complained as she got her hair wet.

He chuckled, and brought the temperature up a bit more before he grabbed a scrubby and began to scrub her back for her, admiring her tattoo. “So, why this exactly?” He asked lightly tracing the outline on her shoulder blade.

"Oh, it's just a stylized version of my zodiac symbol." She told him simply. "I find it oddly beautiful that, no matter what, everyone in the world falls under one of those categories as it were."

“Huh.” He said curiously. “I would have never pegged you for a person like that. Interesting.” He commented scrubbing down her back.

"You won't find me looking up my horoscope and acting all dodgy because of it, but, yeah…" She shrugged. "Oh, I almost forgot… let me get a good look at yours."

“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled, and turned around to show her the large tattoo of a battle worn direwolf covering the upper portion of his back.

She admired it for a moment before rubbing his back with both hands. "Wow. How long did that take? I don't think any of my pieces amount to anything like that."

“A few months.” He told her honestly. “It would have been done sooner, but it was just getting the time to get it done.” He explained, letting his body relax.

"I'm sure you saw the ones on my legs earlier." She smirked. "Unless you were very distracted."

He chuckled. “I was a bit preoccupied, but I glanced at them. Didn’t get a good look.” He told her honestly.

She moved her hip around and pointed to her right outer thigh. "A deck of cards. I really like the phrase, 'leave all the cards on the table'. I'd like to live by that one, if I can.” And, then, she pointed to her left ankle. "And a blue raspberry. I thought that it was kinda fun, and lost a bet. So, I had to get another tattoo."

“I never would’ve bet on a tattoo. But I like them.” He said placing a hand over the one on her hip. “I like this one more.” He smiled at her, and gave her a small kiss.

"I don't regret the bet. If I didn't want to have a tattoo, I wouldn't have done it." She smiled. "That one is wolf's bane. It's beautiful and poisonous, but it can also be used to cure some things."

“Fitting.” He smirked at her. “Well, I like them. They all tell a nice story.”

"I think that I like your art better, though. It's badass." She commented as she lathered shampoo in her hair.

“I got it because I felt like a lone wolf at the time.” He explained, putting shampoo into his hair as well. “And, the battle stuff because I was training a fuckton at the time.”

She smiled. "You know, lone wolves can challenge a pack alpha so that they can lead a new pack, and, sometimes, they happen upon a…" She blushed. "A breeding female and join a pack that way."

He washed the shampoo out of his hair, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. “You know. I think you might be onto something.” He replied huskily before smiling and beginning to wash the soap from her hair.

She closed her eyes as the soap was washed out. "Thanks." When her hair was done, she looked up at him, and stole a kiss. "You need me to scrub anything?"

“Nah, but thank you for offering.” He smirked, leaning down to steal a kiss back. “I think we’re pretty clean.”

"I agree." She smiled, turning off the water. "I'm suddenly ravenous, though."

“Well, it’s a good thing I know how to cook, then. Isn’t it?” He smiled at her, and stepped out of the shower, holding out a hand for her. “Let’s get you fed.”

She grabbed his hand. "Yes, please." She agreed, walking back into the living space. She spotted his closet and opened it, stealing one of his shirts. "Do you mind? It sounds like we're having a lie in, today."

He shook his head. “Go for it.” He replied, walking next to her, putting on a shirt, and pulling on a pair of boxers. “I have no intention of leaving today.” He decided, walking to the small kitchen to get food started.

She pulled on the shirt and nothing else before sitting down at the coffee table and starting to work on the puzzle again. "I guess that I didn't realize that you could cook in this room." She laughed. "Half expected to go out last night."

“I didn’t realize I could until only recently.” He replied, cracking some eggs into a pan. “It was either cook here or in the busy kitchen downstairs… I chose here.” He laughed.

"That's a good call." She laughed. "You know, staying up here all day is going to make Wake even more annoying tomorrow, right?"

Astero sighed a bit, as he chopped up some bacon into small pieces. “Yeah… but I think we can take him. We are both adults anyway, he should stay out of our business.”

She nodded. "Once again, I agree. What I'm afraid of is that he's going to tell my parents and activate the freak out of the century."

“I don’t think he will stoop that low. I think he likes to stir up shit, just not of that grand a scale.” He said as he started to toast some bread.

"I think that he's going to keep pushing us with the innuendos until either we hurt him enough to make him stop, or we confirm it." She rolled her eyes.

He placed the food onto two plates, and sprinkled some shredded cheese on top. He walked over next to her, and placed the plate in front of her. “One bacon and cheese omelette with a side of toast.” He smiled, sitting down next to her. “Enjoy.”

She looked at the food with appreciation, and stabbed it with her fork, biting into it and humming. "Not bad." She said, "Guess we'll have to see how I feel at an earlier hour."

“I look forward to it.” He grinned at her.

"Do you know where to go in town for adventuring information? I haven't noticed any guilds or sign postings." Magdiana asked.

He thought for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah, there is a little place farther up on the docks. I pass by while buying food for the store.” Astero explained.

"Oh, I didn't realize you did the shopping too." She commented. "Do you like it?"

“Yeah, I need to make sure that the ingredients are fresh.” He smiled at her, taking a bite of toast. “I like it a lot. I get to cook.”

"I can tell that you like to do that." She laughed, taking another bite. "I'll cook for you sometime. It won't be phenomenal, but it's edible. You deserve to know the pain you have to endure if this is a long term deal."

He smiled at her. “Alright, but just wait until after we get a place. That way, I can stock the kitchen before hand. Make sure you have everything you need to make it… okay?” He chuckled.

"Such a gentleman." She chuckled. "You can just say it. You want to make sure there's two bathrooms for when I make both of us sick."

“I believe you won’t do that.” He chuckled. “You would need to be horrid in the kitchen to do that.” He laughed. “You don’t seem like that type.”

"I'm not that bad. I just have no confidence, and it shows." She laughed, taking another big bite of food. 

He raised an eyebrow as he took another bite of his omelette. “Let me guess. Salt and pepper type of girl, and whatever is easiest? Right?” He asked seriously.

"Right in one." She laughed.

“That’s fine.” He chuckled pointing to their plates. “That’s what these are. Literally three ingredients.” He deadpanned.

She nodded. "I guess that, after making elaborate potions, remedies, and poisons every day, I just want to go home and be easy."

He nodded in agreement. “Yup. Preaching to the choir on that one.” 

She facepalmed. "That was stupid. Duh."

He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You’re fine.” He chuckled. “Now, finish your food, so we can actually finish the puzzle.” He smiled at her.

She nodded, taking one last bite, and handing him the plate. "Thank you." She murmured.

“You’re welcome.” He shrugged, taking her plate, and going to wash them. He came back, and sat down next to her to help with their project. “So, where did we leave off?” He asked, looking at the progress.

"You were doing the border, which is almost done, and I was starting to sort the boat pieces and build those." She smiled.

“Alright, then.” He nodded, going back to work on the borders, and putting the pieces together as he went.

She started to piece together the boat from the day before. "Where in town should we look for a house?"

“Probably somewhere close to both of our jobs. And your parents house,” He added, looking at her. “So long as you want to stay close to them.”

"I'm not sure that I want to be as far out of town as they are." She told him. "I like the space they have, but that's about it"

“Okay, so closer to town then.” He thought aloud. “I don't need much space, just a big kitchen.“ He added.

"And, a nice sized yard," She reminded him. "for spars and such."

He smiled at her. “Okay, then, I can live with that.” He connected two edges together.

She smirked back. "Should be easy enough. And, we might be able to find it for a good price based on the location. I bet there's not a lot of demand near where we work."

“We should check out that area either on our way to or from work, assuming we get the chance.” He surmised.

"I can direct my 10k in that direction. Maybe, I'll see something." She finished the first boat, and looked to Astero. "When do you-" She started to say as the sounds of knocking came from the room door.

Astero stood up, and went to the door. He looked through the eye hole, and saw Wake. “What the fuck is he doing here?” He complained to himself before looking to Magdiana. “Go into the bathroom. Wake is here.” He whispered to her.

Magdiana crept over to the bathroom without a word, closing the door silently behind her and leaving the room dark.

Astero cracked the door open, and looked to the unwelcome tiefling. “Yes, Wake? What can I do for you?” He asked, clearly looking annoyed.

Wake looked at Astero curiously. “We wanted to make sure you were okay. We never saw you come down this morning.” He smirked. “Wanted to make sure you two were fine.” 

He sighed, and looked back at the tiefling. “Yes, I’m fine, and I’m by myself.” He growled.

“And, your attire?” Wake asked, looking at his lack of clothing. 

Astero shook his head. “It’s my day off, man… I don't plan on leaving this room until at least tomorrow. So, I don’t care how I look.” Astero told the Captain honestly.

Wake frowned, and sighed. “Well, then, fine… sorry for disturbing you on your day off.” He apologized, turning to leave. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Will do.” Astero waved, shutting the door with a loud thud. He walked over to the bed, and sat down. He waited a minute before talking. “He’s gone.” He called over to Magdiana.

She quietly opened the door, and padded over to the bed. "Thanks."

***

Downstairs, Raze leaned on the counter in boredom. "See anything good?"

Wake leaned on the counter, and whispered to her. “Well, unless Astero is into drag, I saw a pile of female clothes on an armchair with a large amount of daggers.” He grinned widely. His tail swaying back and forth.

"They're more transparent than a gelatinous cube." She laughed.

“Oh, this is a good story. So fresh!” He barked giddily.

"So much better than my books. I'm afraid to read the ending, though." Raze said. "I like happy endings."

“All endings are good endings.” Wake told her. “It just depends on which side you see it from.” He smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't make me change my mind. Now, do tell, how will we learn more if they will not speak with us?"

“Oh, that’s simple, darling. We ask around. I still need to talk to Marius, afterall.” He smiled widely

She eyed him. "Do not get her in trouble. This is my best source of entertainment while you're away."

He shook his head at her. “Oh, gods, no. What they do behind closed doors is their business.” He smirked. “Their actions however can be seen by those around them.” He smirked.

"I… do not follow." She replied.

“You said that Mag has been staying here a few nights in a rowb right?” He asked her.

"Well, unless there's a portal between her bedroom and here, yes, I believe that's the case." She huffed.

“Then, how do you think her parents are feeling? What about her brother?” He continued. “Maybe, I go get some lunch, and see what the new cook is like. Or, I could get a potion. People do love to talk.” He smiled widely.

Her smile widened. "Oh, you devious bastard."

“And, that is why you love me.” He smirked, stealing a kiss from her. “Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to go get some lunch.” Wake then proceeded to prance his way towards the door. His countenance reeked of victory.

Raze followed him, pushing him out of her inn. "Don't come back until you have juicy details!"

“Will do!” He laughed almost skipping away.

***

Astero looked to Magdiana. “No problem. I didn’t want him to see you in just my shirt.” He chuckled.

"No, this is for your eyes alone." She smiled. 

“I am okay with this literally any day of the week.” He added, looking her up and down appreciatively.

"The real thing that would bother me is if he had he seen is the lack of underwear." She admitted. "Again, that's only for you."

“My response is the same.” He smiled at her.

She kissed him. "Good. Now, should we get back to the puzzle?"

He pulled her close, thought it over for a moment, and shook his head a bit. “Nah… Wake kinda killed the vibe. I think we should figure out how to get him back. Afterall, he was snooping around here.” He grinned mischievously.

She rubbed her hands together. "Finally, a worthy prank war opponent."

He laughed at the face she made. "Of course, you’re ready to do this." He smiled at her. "So, I’m pretty sure the man doesn't sleep. So, anything involving sleep is off the table." He sighed a bit. "Any ideas?"

"Do we know if anybody stays with his ship when he's here?" She smirked.

"I don't, but I don't think it would be too hard to find out." He smirked back. "What are you planning?"

"Booby trap the hell out of the Captain's quarters." She smiled. 

"So, he would get caught on the first trap, and he would quickly find the rest." He sighed lightly.

She smiled. "Right in one."

"And, what will we do about that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the face she made.

"Well, it wasn't us who did it. We'll have to help him find the culprit." She said innocently.

"Oh…" He drawled shocked at her response. " You’re evil, and I love you." He smiled, leaning in, and kissing her.

"Thank you." She smirked. "Whichever mischievous god is looking out for me is probably proud." 

"Very." He smiled. "Looking at you in awe."

She gave him a small kiss in return. "Did you ever get a look at the Captain's quarters? We can start planning the attack. Oh, I'm so glad that I have a lot of tripwire."

"No, I only ever saw his door. I’ve never actually been inside of it." He frowned until he thought of a plan. "But, you could get in there." He smiled back at her.

"I can get most places." She nodded. "You’re pretty observant, right? Can you be a good lookout while I go investigate?"

"I can, but I was planning on distracting Wake while you scope the place out. Unless you want me to help you. Then, I’ll be there." He told her honestly.

She smirked. "No, you run interference. I like that plan. That way, he won't even be thinking about his ship."

He nodded. "Alright, then. Now, all we need to figure out is... when?" He asked her.

"When does he leave next? He can't retaliate if he's gone." She looked like the cat that got the canary.

"Gods, I hope it's soon." He smiled widely. "How about tomorrow morning? I’ll head downstairs and talk the two of them up. Meanwhile, you can go scout the ship?"

"Yes." She smirked, pulling him in for a hug. "This will be awesome."

He hugged her back. "It will." He added softly. "You might have to sneak out the window tomorrow morning, though. Wake still thinks you’re not here." He sighed.

"That's an average second day." She smiled, glancing out the window. "Oh, yeah, I'll be fine."

"Okay, good." He smiled, and gave her a small kiss. "Then, you can come back and meet me, so we can go and find an adventuring job." He told her.

"Worth all the gold." She smirked. "Maybe, it'll be out of town, and we can go camping again. Except more fun."

"That does sound fun." He smirked, pulling her next to him. "It could be interesting." His tone became deep and sultry.

She eyed him up and down. "Are you about to make a fucking in tents pun?"

"Well, not anymore." He chuckled.

She leaned into him, and whispered in his ear. "I don't want our first time together to be in a tent. I want it to be… special, I guess." Her lips pressed against the shell of his ear where they’d just come to rest.

He nodded. "I understand." He replied honestly. "I don't want it to be in a tent either. I want it to be… right. We will know when that is." 

"And, not next week." She made a face. 

"Let me guess… shark week?" He sighed.

"I don't know. I thought you could tell just by the way I move? Thanks for oversharing that with Wake." She sighed.

He sighed. "Sorry. And, yeah, it took me a while to figure out, but… it adds up." He added, making a face.

She kissed him. "Yeah, it's next week."

"Well, go me." He groaned sarcastically. "I know when your body hates you." 

"At least, we're not fighting each other right now. Otherwise, I'd be more stabby than normal." She giggled.

"I’m so glad that we’re doing much better." He giggled kissing her nose.

She laughed at the kiss. "The good news is… not pregnant. Not that I did anything to possibly get pregnant, but I’m too young to be a Mom."

"I’m glad, too. I don't want to be a Dad any time in the near future." He chuckled back.

She blushed, looking up at him. "Uh, do you know the spell, or…?"

"I do." He said honestly. "Don't worry, I won't forget to use it."

"I wasn't worried about that. There are herbs to prevent it. I just don't have any right now." She was even pinker now.

"Hey." He grabbed her chin, looking into her eyes. "Calm down. We have to get everything we need before we do it. It's not like we're going to do it tonight." He chuckled at her softly.

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. Just… getting used to talking about it with you."

He blinked a few times at her response. "You’re sitting next to me, wearing my shirt and literally nothing else." He commented, lifting the shirt a bit to prove a point. "It shouldn't be that bad to talk about that stuff. It’s normal things that happen." He reminded her.

"As… I'm not a talker. I'm a doer. It's easier for me to do something than say it to your face." She looked up at him seriously, climbing into his lap, and kissing him soundly. "That was easy. Telling you that I can prevent pregnancy with herbs… not easy."

He gently rubbed her back. "Don't worry. I will help you with that. We will just start talking about literally everything. Eventually, you will be able to tell me anything you want to." He smiled at her, kissing her in kind.

"You might have trouble getting me to shut up." She laughed.

"I think I can handle it." He smirked.

"Well, it's your funeral." She joked. "Prepare for some serious too much information moments if that's what you really want."

He shrugged his shoulders. "So long as you aren't explaining your bathroom schedule, I think I will manage." He smirked.

"Eww, no. Astero, that’s gross." She made a face. "You fuck."

"I dated crazy… you are several steps away from that." He reminded her, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. "I’ll manage."

She grabbed his arms, and pushed him into the bed, pinning him down. Then, she leaned into his ear and whispered. "I don't know… I think I can be pretty crazy."

He looked her dead in the eyes, and flipped her off of him before pinning her to the bed. "True, but I know how to deal with you." He smirked, kissing her lightly.

"Hey, there could've been daggers involved." She shrugged.

Astero summoned his dagger, and gently set it on her chest. "There is always a dagger within arms reach of me." He smiled.

"I need to learn that trick." She murmured.

"Maybe I can teach you, one day." He smirked, getting off of her.

"Ah, yes. I could be a rogue, cleric, fighter." She smirked. "Nobody will stand a chance… except you."

"I would be fine with that." He smirked back.

She looked at him oddly. "Really?" She asked.

“Why not?” He asked her seriously. “If you want to be a force of nature, I'm not going to stop you. I think it’d be rather hot to see.” He smirked at her.

"Let me properly wrap my head around that before I commit." She told him. "The idea is… intriguing. More daggers."

“That you could potentially summon back to you.” He added.

She leaned up into his ear and whispered, "Extra attacks."

He smirked. “That depends on how far you want to go with it.” He smiled, looking into her eyes.

"I think that I want to heal more first." She admitted. "A restoration spell would be nice."

“Okay.” He said simply. “At the end of the day, I’m okay with whatever you want to do.”

"If I get to the point that I can attack like you, I'm going to need more daggers. I could throw… twelve in about six seconds." She tried to do the math.

He thought it over for a moment. “If I keep going the way I am going… I should be able to attack about nine times in six seconds… with my greatsword.” He smirked.

"That's… a lot of pain." She eyed him. "I'm glad you're on my side." Her head came to rest on a pillow.

“And, I'm glad you’re with me.” He said kissing her softly on the temple before rolling onto his side beside her.

"We've got to get in another spar with Wake soon. I feel like I'm losing my edge." She told him. "I know that I'm still training, but, with the two of us not sparring…" She trailed off.

“Yeah…” He sighed a little. “When you come back to meet me after checking out Wake’s ship, we’ll ask when our next sparring match will be.” He told her.

She suddenly remembered something. "I almost forgot to ask. How many days do you have off?"

“Today, tomorrow, and the day after that. Why?” He asked her.

"I wanted to see if we had the same schedule. Honestly, it was a selfish wish to have more time with you." She responded.

“No, it wasn’t.” He chuckled. “I was hoping for the same thing.” He replied.

She grabbed his hand. "Well, I'm pleased to inform you that we have the same schedule. On for seven, off for three."

“Sweet!” He smiled widely. “More time to talk to you.”

"More time to prank Wake into oblivion, do adventuring gigs, and figure out the whole… magicky bullshit." She paused for a minute. "And, the relationship thing. Still getting used to that."

“All relationships have bumps at the beginning. We’ll get through it.” He replied, holding her. “The magicky stuff, either one of your parents can help you there. I might be able to help a little, but not much.” He shrugged.

"Can I try something?" She asked.

“What is it?” He asked her.

She grabbed his hand, and pulled him from the bed towards the bathroom. As they walked past the chair with her things on it, she grabbed a dagger. When they got to the bathroom, she shut the door, leaving the light off. He moved to turn on the light, but she stopped him. "Don't turn it on. I want to see if I can repeat that glowy thing from last night."

“Oh…” He hummed in understanding. “Well, go ahead.”

She remembered the feeling from yesterday- of wanting him to see, and she took that feeling, thinking hard on the dagger. Nothing happened. This lasted for several minutes until, eventually, she saw the dagger flicker to life. "I still don't know what I did."

“Well, if I need to cast it, I say words,” He told her honestly in the glowing light of the dagger. “but it has been a while since I cast it.”

"You can cast it? What words do you say?" She asked.

“Uh… light.” He replied with a raised eyebrow. ‘Like I said, it’s been awhile. I don’t actually have it anymore.”

She thought about what he said, and willed the dagger to go dark again before she said, "Light." A moment later, the dagger lit up. "Son of a bitch."

“Hey, you did it!” He enthused, happy for her. “Good job.”

"Thank you." She put the dagger down, looking at him in the dim light. She waved her hand like she'd practiced in Yutan, and her eyes glowed while a slight breeze picked up. "I can really put on a show, now."

He smiled at her, and gave a small bow. “The ringmaster is in.” He chuckled, and waved a hand, making a small flower appear.

She reached to grab the flower, and felt that it was actually there in his hands until he let go of it. "Wow."

“Oh, yeah. It’s my favorite cantrip. So many uses.” He smiled.

"Don't write me a dissertation, but what all does it do?" She asked.

“Well, I can make sparks, wind, light a candle, clean or dirty something, warm up a drink, make a mark appear, or make small trinkets.” He explained simply. “Lots of uses.”

She nodded. "That's so versatile. I'm jealous."

“It has come in handy on more than one occassion.” He chuckled.

"I can imagine. The cleaning must be really nice, though. You said you use it for laundry." She commented. "I should have more cantrips… right?"

“Well… that differs. I only know two, whereas a sorcerer knows a fuck ton.” He chuckled.

She looked at her hands. "I'll probably be somewhere in between, then. I'm sure it'll crop up eventually."

He gently grabbed her hands, and leaned in close. “You will. I know it.”

"Thank you for being here for all of this. It feels like puberty again. It's like the worst drug trip of my life, except it hasn't ended." She looked into his eyes earnestly.

“You’re welcome.” He whispered softly to her, and gave her a hug. “No matter what, I’ll be here. Right next to you.”

She just held him for a minute. "I'm really afraid I'll accidentally smite someone again. I really hurt my Dad. I don't want to hurt you."

He held her a little tighter. “You will get the hang of all this,” He told her. “And, don’t worry about me. You know damn well that I can take a hit.” He smiled down at her.

She nodded, letting out a little sigh. "Okay." She let go just as her stomach growled. Then, let out a giggle. "Dinner?"

Astero laughed. “Yes, I’ll make us dinner. What would you like?” He asked her.

"Pasta… with chicken." She answered honestly.

He thought for a moment. “A red, or a cheese sauce?” He asked her in response.

"Surprise me. I'm not picky." She told him.

“Okay, then.” He smiled, giving her a small kiss. “Then, let’s leave the bathroom. We’ve already spent too much time in here together today.” He chuckled, opening the door.

She looked at him with an appraising eye as she picked up the glowing dagger. "We didn't even do anything in the bathroom. When that happens, we'll have to break in all of the surfaces." She watched him for his reaction.

He turned and looked at her for a moment, before nodding and continuing to the kitchen. “All right, just know that neither one of us will be sleeping that night.” He smirked back at her.

"Two words. Restoration spells." She replied simply.

“Then, I hope you learn them soon.” He chuckled, getting some items prepared for the meal.

"I'll be honest, if you keep me up all night like that, it would be a first." She told him, laying on her stomach on the bed, and watching him cook.

He continued to work on the prep for the chicken, but turned back to look at her. “I am sorry for you.” He said honestly. “That's not fair on you.”

She cocked her head. "How so? I've been pretty fortunate to have lovers that have been… very giving as far as my needs go. So what? Nobody's had the stamina to fuck me through the night?" She shrugged a little

“Well, yes. Also, at least, what I have been told, it’s a completely different experience.” He replied, cutting the chicken into small bits.

"When the time comes, I'll happily stay up all night making sweet love to you." She promised.

“Good. I am glad to hear.” He smiled, blowing her a small kiss.

She mimed catching the kiss and smacked it into her ass. "Whoops." She joked.

He chuckled, and tossed the chicken into the pan to cook. He quickly washed his hands and looked at her. “Try not to miss this one.” He blew her another kiss.

She caught this kiss and pressed it to her chest before starting to blow a kiss to him and lobbing it at him as hard as she could. "Gotcha." She laughed.

He jumped into the air, caught the kiss, and pressed it to his chest. “Got it.” He smiled at her, before turning and adding some cheese and a small bit of milk to the pan as the chicken.

"I'm very competitive, and that could start to involve acrobatics one day." She commented. "Not when we're on the second floor above somebody."

He smiled at her. “Then let’s keep it to a minimum… for now.” He chuckled, filling a small pot with water and setting it on the stove.

She nodded. "As much as I like it here, I'm anxious to have that house. More room to… I don't know… words are failing me."

“Play?” He asked her, turning the heat down on the chicken and adding a few spices to it.

"I guess play works." She told him. "It's hard to use that word as an adult. Feels weird. But, I do feel freer to goof around with you."

He added the pasta to the water, and walked over to her. “I'm happy you are comfortable around me.” He whispered, leaning on the bed and giving her a small kiss. “And, to goof around with me.” He smirked.

"I would hope that, after knowing someone for the majority of my life, I would be comfortable around them." She smirked, bopping his nose lightly with her pointer finger.

“I was honestly expecting a much longer transition.” He said truthfully. “But, it helps when we both have similar experiences, running away together being one.” He smirked back, playfully smacking her butt. “I bet the ladies in Yutan are jealous of you.”

"I bet the men in Yutan are jealous of you." She smirked. "I know how they looked at me. I'm not stupid. And, the ladies, yeah… you were very sought after. As for the comfortability… I'm sure we'll have growing pains eventually, but it's really nice right now."

“It is.” he replied with a nod. “And, yes, the men would eye fuck you on a daily basis.” he chuckled. “They had some interesting thoughts.”

She raised an eyebrow. "Thoughts? Oh, this I have to hear. Locker room talk."

“Yup.” he nodded. “Some of them thought you were into women. Some of them thought you could bend over bend over backwards, and they would ask me if any of that was true.” He sighed.

She laughed. "Not into women. Just not into them either, and, yes, I can bend over backwards."

“Really?!” He asked shocked. “I heard that was a joke.” He said honestly.

She climbed out of bed and over to the chair, digging her underwear out of the pile. She pulled them on. "I'll prove it, but don't want to give the show of your lifetime either."

He sat down on the bed and watched. “No matter if they were on or off, I still want to see it. I have never seen it done before.” Astero told her honestly.

She moved into an open space in the room and arched her back, spotting with her head, which was all the way back in order to look at the ground. Seconds later, she landed with her hands on the floor. She walked around a moment before kicking off and walking on her hands for a moment. "Part of the 'take down Astero' training." She said. "I used to do hand handstand push ups, but have kind of fallen out of the habit."

He placed his head in his hands for a moment, and watched her. “Huh, I’m the reason you can do that.” He said musing to himself. “I feel honored.” He smiled at her before standing up and walking to the stove to take the pasta off the heat and straining it.

"Yes, you are the reason I'm so bendy." She blushed. "That's not what I meant to say."

He plated the food, and brought two plates over to the small table. “Well, thank you for showing me.” He replied, sitting down. “I’m actually surprised I never noticed it sooner.” He patted the seat next to him for her to sit.

She walked over to him, taking her seat and the plate. "Thank you for dinner, and I would be happy to show you just how flexible I can be." She winked.

He turned to look at her. “Yes, please.” He grinned back. “But, after you eat the food. I worked hard on it; I hope you like it.”

"If it tastes half as good as it smells, I'm sure it's delicious." She told him, digging in and moaning. "Oh, I love you."

“So, that's a yes?” He asked rhetorically, chuckling to himself.

"I would do very sexual things for this food." She laughed.

“I am flattered.” He smiled at her. “And, I always do accept tips.” He smirked, taking a bit.

She kissed him lightly. "Thank you."

“You’re very welcome.” He smiled back, digging into the food.

"Did a woman's clothes ever just fall off after eating your food because I would understand." She asked him, taking another bite.

“Actually, no.” He said honestly. “Not very many people knew I could cook. You, Anne, and, like, one elder knew.” He told her. “I don’t really cook for people that often.”

She chewed and swallowed before speaking. "Well, now, I feel special, but, seriously, you would be drowning in pussy."

“Yeah… but then I would be dead.” He joked. “Not really able to cook if I am dead.”

"I would happily resurrect the maker of food and generous bringer of orgasms." She couldn't keep a straight face, and snorted.

Astero choked a bit on his food, but quickly fixed himself. “I’m glad because you almost had to.” He chuckled.

She frowned. "I'm not that good, yet. Nor do I have diamonds."

“Hey. I’m fine.” He smiled at her. “Just caught me off guard is all.” He explained honestly.

"Noted. No sex jokes during meal times. Will kill the boyfriend." She suddenly tensed. Did he hear that word? Did he agree with that word? She slowly turned her head to look at him. "Sorry."

He turned to look at her. “Sorry for what? Almost killing me, or calling me ‘the boyfriend’?” He asked her with a smirk.

"Yes." She deadpanned.

He shrugged. “Well, I’m alive, so I’m fine with that. No apologies needed there…” He trailed off for a moment, thinking over if it sounded right in his head. “I don’t mind it, so long as I get to call you ‘the girlfriend’.” He chuckled at her.

She blushed deeply. "That's fine. There was a time that I would've settled for 'the fuck buddy'."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and turned to face her. “Now, I know you had a crush on me for a while. But, when did it become ‘more than a crush’?” He asked her.

She thought for a long moment. "Do you remember that fight that I cut your chest pretty deep? We had to stitch it shut because neither of us could afford a cleric?"

He nodded, and rubbed his chest a bit. “Yeah, it hurt to breathe for awhile after that.” He replied.

"The next day, you treated me, I don't know, with a respect I didn't expect." She told him. "It was around then, I guess."

“Huh, I wasn't expecting you to go that far. I realised you had the tenacity to do what it took to win.” He explained honestly. “I was impressed if nothing else.”

"It was that day when you looked at me like- an equal. That's when I realized it wasn't a crush anymore." She mumbled, taking a large bite of food.

“Well, you have me all to yourself now.” He smiled, taking a bit of his food as well.

She took a minute to chew before looking at him seriously. "Good. Because I'm territorial and will cut bitches."

“Thank the gods Grace is married then.” He chuckled.

She laughed. "She never did get the hint that you just weren't into her. Pretty sure she fucked one of your friends to make you jealous, which didn't work and forced the marriage."

He laughed. “Really? Huh, I meant the one I work with, but that is fucking funny!” He chuckled.

"Oh." She facepalmed. "I didn't know her name, As. But, yeah, the Grace from Yutan totally had it for you."

“Well, I’ll be damned. It’s fine, though. From what I heard about her, she was a bit too clingy.” He shivered.

"Stage five clinger, for sure." She laughed. 

He smiled, and took a few more bites of his food. “So, have you got any questions for me?” He asked her. “I bet you have plenty of them.”

"A few." She smirked. "You asked me, but never told me… what's the kinkiest thing you've ever done?"

“Had sex in a room full of sleeping people.” He told her. “She was really ready to go, and didn’t care if anyone found out.” He replied honestly.

She shook her head in a bit of wonder. "Wow. I thought the knife play was a lot."

“Yeah, she got off, but I couldn’t. It was too much.” He was shaking his head.

"This isn't a trick question. I swear, but… how many?" She asked quietly.

“Other women?” He asked her.

"Yeah." She nodded.

He thought it over for a minute. “Before you… six.” He said honestly.

She smiled at him. "I have been with three, but I did go down on a couple others."

“Same.” He replied. “At least two women I went down on.”

"I think it was four. The experience wasn't good enough to want to go farther with most of them." She shrugged, putting her empty plate on the table.

“Yeah. it helps if it is memorable.” He chuckled, finishing his plate and taking hers and going to wash them.

"I can do those, if you want. You've been catering to me all day." She offered.

“I don’t mind doing them, but you can help if you like,” He replied, moving over a bit for her.

She walked over, and unnecessarily hip bumped him out of the way. "You can dry, mister prestidigitation."

He smiled, scooped up a small amount of bubbles, and placed them on her nose. “Okay, then.” His lips pulled up on his cheeks wider.

She wiped her nose on his shirt. "Rude." She laughed.

He waved a hand, and dried the spot she made. “It could have been much worse.” He chuckled waiting for the dishes.

She started to clean the dishes, and handed them to him when she was done. "This isn't so bad when there's pleasant company."

He took the dishes, and dried them with a wave of his hand as he got them. He set them to the side, and looked at her. “It really makes a huge difference.” He said agreed with her.

"When my parents freak out about us living together, what will you tell my Dad?" Magdiana asked.

“That I will try to keep her out of trouble.” He chuckled.

She laughed. "Dork."

“Well, I know you can take care of yourself, and, if the brief meeting I had with your mother is anything to go by, I might have my hands full.” He laughed.

She looked at him seriously. "I'm not sure if I should be insulted or flattered."

“You have the same ferocity that she had when she glared at Wake.” He replied, seeing the same look in her eyes now. “It is terrifyingly beautiful.” He explained, stealing a quick kiss from her.

"Thank you. I don't feel very beautiful with this hair, to be honest." She sighed. "But, it'll grow back."

He brushed some loose hair behind her ear. “It will, and I like it no matter which way you have it.” He told her honestly.

She dried a hand, and ran it through his hair. "I think I like yours shorter, though. Maybe with a beard."

He rubbed his chin a bit. “That will take some time, it grows really slowly on me.” He replied, making a face. “That’s why I usually just shave it.”

"It's not a problem." She waved her hand, going back to doing the dishes. "It'll grow faster when you're older."

“I’m hoping.” He sighed a bit. “I would like to have one one day.” 

"It would make you look very rugged… panty droppingly so." She laughed, handing him another dish.

He took the dish, and quickly dried it. “Well, between the food and the beard, you will just never wear panties again, apparently.” He joked.

"Hells, I've been considering getting rid of them for years. Nothing quite like starting a fight with a flip and having them up your ass for the rest of it." She sighed.

“Okay, not around the house then.” He corrected himself. 

"Oh, yeah, between those two things…" She shook her head, and shrugged. "I'd be an idiot to wear underwear around the house."

He took the next dish, and quickly dried it. “I'm joking.” He chuckled at her. “I don’t care what you wear around the place.”

"Probably the same as usual or one of your shirts." She told him honestly, wiggling a bit to prove her point. "It’s very comfortable."

“I bet.” He said looking her over briefly. “Glad to know you like to keep things simple.”

"It wouldn't be me if I suddenly started wearing lingerie or something. Tell me, if I suddenly wore the world's skimpiest outfit and presented myself on the bed, what would you do? Because the idea in my head is laughable." She told him.

“Well, I don’t know what that would look like, but it would probably be the same if you wore a shirt or a dress.” He told her.

She sauntered closer to him, and whispered into his ear. "But, would it be anything like me to do that? Or would I walk over to you like I am now and tell you that I need you?"

He ran his hands up her legs and back under her shirt. “The outcome would be the same. I would take you where you stood.” He replied in a voice that made unspoken promises to her.

She kissed him. "Well, I think one of them is more… real." 

“I honestly would take the shirt over lingerie any day. You don’t have to go all out to impress me, just keep doing what you’re doing.” He smiled, and kissed her back.

She turned around, and pressed her back into him, running her body up and down before stepping away. She cleaned the last few dishes, and drained the sink. "I intend to."

He smiled widely at her, and dried the last few things, putting them away in short order. “Good. You minx.”

"I blame my god, or whatever. He's a trickster. Such a bad influence." She hummed.

“Yeah, right. Blame it on the god.” He chuckled. “You’re just a horny girl, is all.” He smirked.

She made a face. "I like to tease you. Your reactions are like a sweet addiction."

“Well, I'm glad I can help with your habits. You’re just lucky I haven't tried doing the same back.” He grinned.

"If you teased back, we would've fucked already." She told him. 

“Exactly.” He replied in return. “I’m trying really hard not to rush this.” He told her honestly.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I can try to stop."

He shook his head at her. “You don’t need to stop, but toning it down would be helpful.”

"I will do my best. I can get pretty intense." She smirked.

“So can I. I know how to make my fingers vibrate.” He smirked at her.

She tilted her head. "What?"

“Oh, yeah.” He smirked, walking up to her, snapping his fingers, and making his fingers vibrate. He ran them down her side, moving to her leg and inner thigh, and taking his hand away before he reached her nethers. “I can be evil.” A wide, victorious grin graced his lips as he moved to sit on the bed.

"I did not know that was possible." She hummed. "But, I will happily wait until you're ready to do that to me."

He smiled at her. “Glad to hear.” 

"We've got a busy day tomorrow." Magdiana sighed, sitting down next to him. "But, I really did enjoy today. I haven't had a day without daggers strapped to me since… I can't even remember. Before I was a teenager?"

Astero smiled. “Well, I’m glad I could be of service. I hope we have many more days like this in the future.”

"Lazy days with no training. Huh. Almost expected to train more. Or, at least, train together. Care for doing 10ks?" She joked.

“I’m down. Let’s just not turn them into races.” He chuckled at her. “We can still train together, hells, it will probably help us. I still don’t know your workout routine.”

She nodded. "I do a 10k just about every day. Stretches, body weight exercises, practice throwing, practice flipping, and, until recently, would finish the day sparring you."

“Okay, I have a similar workout. The only real difference is that I change the throwing practice, and flipping practice, to sword and boxing practice.” He told her. 

"Ugh. Striking is my weakness. I'm better off with a dagger." She complained. "I can bludgeon the hell outta someone with the hilt of one."

“I know. I was on the receiving end more than once.” He chuckled. “I do need to work on my flexibility, you being able to out maneuver me has been an annoyance for a while.” He replied honestly.

She smirked. "Yeah. It's annoying, but you know what else it is?"

“What is that?” He asked her.

"Lucky for you," She winked. "in the future."

“Oh, I fully intend on finding out.” He grinned back.

She leaned into him, and yawned. "I'll do the windy thing you like."

He leaned his head on hers. “And, I'll make sure you get the full course.” 

"Course?" She asked. "You heard that I've done things before, yeah?"

“Yeah.” He nodded. “But, not mine.” He smirked.

She shrugged. "Alright. Well, I'm down."

He nodded, and gave her a small kiss. “I’m glad.”

"I'm trying not to be too intense right now. Failing." She fell back onto the bed.

“I could tell. That’s why I pushed like I did.” He told her honestly.

"You have officially piqued my roguish curiosity." She told him. "But, I will be good and wait." She yawned again. "Is it bedtime?"

He smiled, and laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. “Yeah, it is.” Astero murmured, pulling the covers over them. “You get some sleep.” He whispered to her.

"Sleep well, As." She murmured with closed eyes.

“Will do. Sleep well, Mag.” He whispered, giving her a small kiss. “Love you.”

Magdiana would have replied- had she been conscious. Instead, he was greeted by the quiet sounds of her snores.

He smiled as he heard her snores, and closed his eyes. He wasn’t overly tired just yet, but her being close to him helped him relax. He felt his breathing slowing, and in a few short minutes, he was sleeping peacefully next to her.


	8. Initiative

Wake walked down the street with a noticeable skip to his step. He was on his way to go get lunch at a restaurant where a certain young man had recently been employed. He entered the store, and walked up to the counter. “Hello!” He said with a smile.

Grace smiled back at the tiefling. “Hello, sir. How can I help you today?” She asked him, not knowing who he was. 

“I was thinking about getting a sandwich.” He told her. “Whatever the chef recommends.” He said idly. 

She hummed for a moment. “Well, the head chef isn't in today, but I will get you something good.” She smiled, heading into the back.

Wake smiled and sat down, waiting idly for the woman to return with his food. He looked around, and saw that the place was relatively quiet. 

Grace came back a moment later, and handed him the sandwich. “Here you go, sir. Enjoy.” She smiled.

“Thank you, kindly.” Wake replied appreciatively, taking a bit of the sandwich. He nodded in approval. “This is good.”

“It’s okay. Our head chef is much better.” She smiled.

Wake smiled back at her. "Oh, really? How so?" He asked leaning in.

"Well, for starters, he's the one who does all the baking, so, when he's in, the bread is phenomenal!" She smiled back.

"Man, he must have a pretty lucky lady." He grinned, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Oh, yeah. They're adorable. He gives her sweets when she stops by for lunch." She shyly smiled. "I'm actually a little jealous."

Wake looked intrigued by the new information he learned about the boy. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure you'll be shown the same courtesy." He replied, pointing to the ring on her finger.

Grace blushed in return. "Thank you, sir." She replied, standing up and moving to go clean. "Do enjoy the rest of your meal." 

He nodded back, and quickly finished the food. He left a tip on the table, and bid her adieu. Leaving the restaurant with even more spring in his step.

Wake had to resist the urge to let his tail swing back and forth in glee. This information gathering mission was just too good. Now that he knew more about Astero, it was time to go see Magdiana’s employer. He should also go check in with Marius, as well. As far as he knew, Magdiana hadn’t been home in several days, and he was sure that her parents would be growing concerned. He tutted to himself. Kids. Always making their parents worry.

He quickly made it to the small shop that the girl worked at, strolling in at a leisurely pace and eyeing the different cures and potions. He wasn’t surprised to see that not much had changed about the shop since his last visit. She hadn’t been there that long in order to make changes. When he made it to the front, a human girl was manning the front. She looked bored with her head resting in her hand as she leaned on the counter. “Welcome in.” She greeted lazily. 

“Hello, there, my dear. You’re not the young lady from the other day.” He commented, watching carefully for a response.

“Ugh, not you too.” She huffed. “What’s so special about the new girl? I haven’t even met her. She works shifts opposite me.”

Wake didn’t grace her with a response. “No matter. Is the owner in? I have some questions about a special order.”

“Sure.” She sighed, turning around and shouting into the back. “Charles! Customer!” 

Charles looked visibly irritated when the girl went to the back to work on his remedies while he dealt with the customer. He sighed, and said things under his breath that Wake couldn’t hear. “I’m sorry about her… She’s not a real go-getter. How can I help you, sir?”

“Whatever happened to the girl from a few days ago? The one with the unpronounceable name?” Wake asked with a small secretive smirk.

“Oh, Magdiana? She’s got a couple days off. She’ll be back next week.” Charles explained. “I must’ve been in the back when you last came in. I never forget a face.”

“Yes, that one. She is much better than your other helper. More pleasant.” Wake commented, hoping that the man would be forthcoming with information.

Charles took the bait, and started to divulge, “She is. Came from another shop with quite the skill set. Says she can make a supreme healing potion, though I’m afraid to ask her to.”

Wake’s eyebrow cocked. “Oh, really? And, why is that? Afraid to be making money?”

“Afraid that she’s going to make enough money to start her own shop and put me out of business, more like.” He laughed. “Now, what is this about a special order?”

“Ah, yes, you see, I’m looking for something a little more… lethal. Do you have anything like that?” He asked simply.

Charles nodded. “Well, you’ve come to the right place… just not at the right time. Again, that’s Magdiana’s realm. What sort are you looking for? Ingested, Inhaled, Contact, or Injury? Do you have a price range you’re looking for?”

“Injury based. Keep it under 500 gold, if you can.” He responded. “Tell her to go crazy.”

Charles made a face. “I’m afraid to tell her that too. Come back in… let’s say five days. It should be done by then.”

Wake nodded, pulling out his coin purse. “Do you require half up front?”

“For first time customers, but, since you’ve shopped with us before, I can take a quarter.” Charles offered.

“I insist.” Wake said, counting out 25 platinum pieces and handing it to the man. “I will see you in a few days.”

With that, Wake turned around to leave. His ears twitched when he heard the sounds of the female shopkeep in the back. Magdiana was definitely an improvement over… that. He smirked to himself, making a secret bet that Magdiana would be needing to work some long work weeks very soon. He just couldn’t see the other girl making it much longer given her… enthusiasm. He turned down the street towards his workplace. Or, rather, his employer, and strode his way confidently into Marius’s office, falling back into a seat, and putting his feet up on the table in a very comfortable manner. “Marius. Long time. No see.” The tiefling smirked, looking at the half-elf appraisingly.

Marius looked up at Wake with tired eyes. "Hey, Wake. How have you been?" He asked with a yawn.

“Oh, I’ve been wonderful.” He smirked, eyeing the man. “Really, today has been nothing but a job well done.”

"Good. I am glad to hear." Marius replied, going over some paperwork. "Any new stories to share?" He asked, knowing the man well.

Wake nodded. “Quite a few. None that you’ll terribly enjoy, my friend.”

“Dare I ask?” Marius sighed, putting his pen down and looking at the tiefling.

“For one, your daughter and that Astero boy are an item.” Wake smirked.

Marius rubbed his face with his hands. “I know.” He sighed. “And, I’m sure they think that they’re being sneaky, but even Jacob has noticed that she’s been missing for several mornings now.”

“You can always nip over to The Rook and pick her up.” Wake offered. “They think that they’re being sneaky over there too.”

“Sweet, Mask, deliver us. I do not want to go there.” Marius grumbled. 

“Well, then, you can either let it go on or have a talk. The choice is up to you.” Wake smirked again. “Either way, Raze is pleased. She loves the drama.”

“I’m sure that she does. She loves that kind of stuff.” He sighed. “When you see her, could you tell her to come home? Eri’s worried. If Magdiana’s not careful, a very angry cleric is going to come and smite the hell out of that boy.”

Wake laughed. “And, you’re not? I always had you pegged for the overprotective father.”

“By the gods, I’m trying not to be. She’s an adult… a damn lethal one. But, in some ways, she’s just a kid.” Marius complained. “Don’t make me treat her like a child.”

Wake took his boots off of the desk, and leaned forward. “No can do. It’s far too entertaining not to watch you squirm.”

Marius opened his desk drawer, and tossed a pouch at the Captain. “Get outta here, Wake. I’ve got work to do.”

Wake just laughed, and strutted towards the door. “Oh, and Marius?”

“What?” Marius replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. It was evident on his face.

“I do so hate to be the one to tell you of this, but you ought to have that very important talk with your daughter.” He winked before strolling out with a smirk on his face. He did like to be the one in charge of every encounter, and he certainly felt like he’d won that one. It didn’t take him long with the pep in his step to make his way back to The Rook, and he entered the inn with a wide smile on his face. “Any new developments?”

Raze shook her head. “Nothing. They have not left the room. Unless they snuck out of the second story window, which I doubt. Now, spill. I want all the details.”

Wake grabbed her hand, and lead her back into their room with a flourish and bow. “My lady.”

She giggled. “Oh, Wake, you charmer.”

He took a seat on their bed and crossed his legs in a relaxed fashion. “First of all, Astero’s female coworker is very jealous of their relationship. She thinks that they’re very cute.”

“Oh, do go on.” Raze nearly squealed.

“Astero is being called the head chef at the shop he works at too. After that, I went to Magdiana’s workplace and ordered some poisons. Cost a pretty copper, too. Shit better be good.” He smirked.

Raze’s eyes peered at Wake. “How much?”

“Nothing we couldn’t afford, my darling.” Wake waved her off, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. “Nothing to worry about. Besides, I got to meet her coworker. In the nicest terms that I can possibly summon about her… lazy bitch, and you know how I feel about ladies, my darling."

"Oh, I do hate those types." Raze frowned. "I take it that she won't be working there for long?"

"I don't think so, but Mag won't be happy about it. She and Charles are the only others there." He frowned back. "Perhaps, it is for the best. She will have to go home instead of here."

Raze rolled her eyes. "That puts a damper on my entertainment if she is not here as frequently."

“And, I am sorry, my dear. Perhaps, I am wrong. For your sake, I hope so.” He smiled.

“What did Marius have to say?” Raze asked, licking her lips in anticipation.

Wake shrugged. “Not much that we didn’t already expect. He and Eri want her to come home, obviously, and Jacob has noticed her absence. I do wonder what made her start to stay here in the first place. Could it really be just because they became an item or is there something more to it?”

Raze playfully slapped his arm. “You like mysteries so much that you try to find them everywhere. Can they not just want to spend time together?”

“They could, but they wanted nothing to do with one another a month ago.” Wake countered.

“Fine, then, if they will talk to you, you should ask them.” Raze responded. “Now, you’ve made me worried. They are so strong. What could scare them?”

“I don’t know, darling, but it will all be fine. It will work out like it always has.” He wrapped his arm around her, and kissed her temple. “I will speak with them, though, I’m sure they won’t be happy with me.”

“You have that way with people.” Raze laughed. “Do not get hurt too badly. I am not a healer.”

He laughed. “I will try not to. Maybe, Mag will feel forgiving and heal me.”

Wake left their room, and walked up the steps to Astero’s door. He knocked, waiting for several moments before knocking louder. He looked at the time. It wasn’t late. Could they really be asleep? He knocked a third time, and, this time, he heard shuffling headed towards the door. There were the sounds of the door being unlocked, and, a moment later, a groggy looking Astero was answering the door in the same shirt and boxers from earlier. He didn’t open the door very far, like he was trying to hide something in the room.

“Wake? You couldn’t just let me sleep on my day off?” He asked, looking a little irritated. 

"It is still early." Wake said, leaning against the door jam. He peered into the dark room, and saw a human shaped lump in the bed. "I thought she was here. Wake her up. We need to talk." He grabbed the door and started to step inside, but Astero stopped him in his tracks.

Astero sighed. "We have to do this right now? Not over breakfast?"

Wake looked the boy over. “Yes.” He told him sternly.

“Give me a minute.” Astero sighed, moving to close the door in his face only to have Wake catch it. 

“You have five minutes before I come in with or without permission.” The tiefling said as more of a promise than anything.

“Whatever, man. Just give us a minute.” Astero grumbled, closing the door. He didn’t bother to lock it behind him. He climbed into bed, and started to gently shake Magdiana awake. “Hey. Hey, Mag? You’ve gotta wake up, and get dressed.”

Magdiana jolted awake, and was swinging before she realized what she’d done. If it weren’t for Astero’s own training, she would’ve gotten him with a swift jab. Instead, he dodged out of the way, and grabbed her hand in his. His eyes locked with hers, and he watched her for any signs of distress. She looked around, processing everything around her. “As? What time is it?” She asked, confused.

“It’s still night. We went to bed early.” He told her calmly. “Wake insists on talking tonight. He’s right outside the door, so you might wanna get dressed.”

Magdiana leaned into him, closing her eyes and breathing. “Dammit.” She groaned, holding him for a minute.

Astero held her back, pulling her close, and actually lifting her up and out of bed. He walked her into the bathroom and set her on the countertop. He walked back, and grabbed her clothes and daggers from the couch she’d left them on the day before. He placed those next to her, and gave her a small kiss before closing the door behind him. He moved to go sit on one of the chairs, and waited for Wake to let himself in. 

A few minutes later, Magdiana was still indisposed, and Wake knocked on the door before letting himself in. “Well, I’ll be damned. Expected her to still be in bed.”

“Wake…” Astero sighed just as Magdiana shuffled out of the bathroom fully dressed and armed. “Please, don’t press your luck with her right now. I don’t want to take a dagger for you.”

Magdiana took a seat next to Astero, and closed her eyes. “Alright. What couldn’t wait until morning, Wake? Just wanted to exercise your namesake?”

Wake laughed as he took a seat. “No. There are better ways to be an asshole to you two.” He looked between the two of them seriously before asking. “What happened that made you get together, and why hasn’t she slept at home since it happened?” He pointed at the two of them as he spoke to punctuate his words. “Something’s up. The King trusted me to protect you two in Yutan. Why are you not trusting me now?”

Astero looked to Magdiana with a curious look. A look of “should we trust him?”.

Magdiana glanced to Astero before opening her mouth and lying through her teeth. “Wake… we’re twenty somethings. Can we not just want to fuck?”

Wake blinked for a moment, and looked between the two of them. “Well, yes you most certainly can. I’m not trying to stop you there. Go crazy for all I care.” He deadpanned. “But, I just want to know. Why are you two avoiding literally everyone… besides your employers of course.”

Magdiana looked to Astero. She would let him take the lead on this one. It was his brother, after all. The insecurities from the past few days seemed heavy on her shoulders at the moment. Were Eri and Marius her real parents. Could they be trusted? Could Wake? It was too much normally, but, even worse after having been woken up to talk about it. “As?” She asked.

Astero looked to her. “Yeah?” He asked her.

“This one’s up to you.” She told him quietly, grabbing his hand as a comfort.

He sighed heavily, and squeezed her hand lightly. He looked up to Wake, looking him square in the eyes. “A few days ago, I got a letter… from my brother.” Astero told him nervously.

Wake paused hearing this. He closed his eyes, and held the bridge of his nose. “Son. Of. A Bitch.” He sighed heavily, looked worried as he did so.

“I take it that you’ve met.” Magdiana deadpanned.

Wake nodded slowly. “Unfortunately.”

“When were you going to tell me I had a brother!?” Astero said annoyed.

“Shh.” Magdiana soothed, rubbing his hand with her thumb wearily.

Wake looked to Astero seriously. “I am sorry for not telling you, but, honestly, I wasn't planning on it.” He deadpanned. “Astero, your brother isn’t a good person.”

Astero’s eyes darted around before he looked back to Wake. “Why not? What did he do that was so bad?” He asked the Captain seriously.

“As,” Magdiana whispered, grabbing his chin and making him look at her. “Who should have raised you if your parents weren’t around? Logically.”

“He… probably had his reasons.” Astero murmured, trailing off.

Wake shook his head at Astero, but looked between the two of them. “Your brother is the reason why all of this shit has happened to the two of you.” He told them honestly with a deep sigh.

Magdiana sat up straighter, and leaned forward to assess Wake’s face. He didn’t appear to be lying. Why was it so hard to tell sometimes? “Please explain.”

Wake nodded, and stood up. “I will, but not here. We need to go downstairs. It’s safer there.” 

“It’s an open room? How could it be safer?” Astero asked, still trying to process everything he just heard.

“I meant downstairs, downstairs.” Wake chuckled, pointing to the ground.

“What? You have a room with nondetection or some shit?” Magdiana asked flippantly, making a wild guess.

Wake made a calming gesture. “I will explain everything in just a few minutes. Okay? Just trust me, and let's go down stairs.” He said moving to the door.

“You know how this sounds, right? Are you going to gank us?” She asked seriously. “Because that is, quite literally, my job as a rogue.”

He turned to look at Magdiana seriously. “I don’t need to to bring you there to gank you, I could do it right here.” Wake told them seriously.. “We’re going downstairs because what I am about to tell you two is only known by a handful of people in the world.” He explained without mincing words. “So, please, shut up, and follow me.” He ordered, walking out of the room.

Astero followed. He was dazed and needed to know what was going on.

Magdiana stood up kind of robotically, and grabbed Astero’s hand as she walked. She didn’t say a word, though she was thinking at a million miles a minute. Did she trust Wake? Did she believe that Astero’s brother couldn’t be trusted? What about her parents? She was near panic as she walked.

Wake walked down into the main common room of the bar, and lead them to a small side door. He told them to wait for just a minute while he got Raze. A moment later, the red tiefling lead them to a staircase that lead downstairs, and a small hallway with a thick wooden door at the end. She unlocked the door, and lead them all inside before closing and locking the door behind them. Wake waved a hand, and the room lit up, revealing a much older structure about the room that seemed to be the foundation for the building above. Ornately chiseled stone lined the walls and several glyphs and runes were engraved deeply into the corners. He took a seat at a long oak table, and offered them a seat. “Okay. Now, I will answer your questions. Just know, you won’t like some of the answers.” He said seriously.

Astero thought for a moment, and looked to Wake. “What exactly did my brother do?”

“Why did he tell Astero not to trust anybody? Including me.” Magdiana added. “I don’t care if what you have to say sucks. I just want a straight answer at this point.”

“Well, I can answer both questions with the same answer.” Wake told them, taking a breath before he continued. “Astero, your brother is, for the want of a better word, a terrorist.” He replied simply. “He believes that everything that The King is doing is complete and utter nonsense, and he is trying to do everything in his power to ruin everything The King has ever done.”

Magdiana scooted closer to Astero, and held him. She didn’t have anything to say, but that was not news that someone ever wanted to hear about their estranged brother.

“But, why? Why did he do all of this? To the both of us? Why didn’t he look after me when my parents died?” He asked quickly.

Wake paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully and trying not to make Astero any more angry than he already was. “Your brother started all of this after your parents died. He wasn’t happy by any means about what your parents did. So, he wanted to try and protect you in his own weird way.” He explained to Astero calmly before looking to Magdiana. “Mag, the reason you were taken was because your parents worshipped two different gods. He thought that, by taking you from them, he could use you to make you into a weapon, and he almost succeeded.” He told them honestly.

Magdiana’s jaw dropped. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“I wish I was.” He deadpanned. 

“Why all the cloak and dagger? Why were we being watched for every move we made? If he wanted to use us, why wasn’t he there?” She asked rapidfire. She left out so many other questions only letting the three stand out.

“He wasn’t there because he was off trying to take out other members of our group.” He frowned. “He was weakening our forces.” he sighed, before he went on. “As for watching your every move, we are just as confused as you are. We just know he was trying to turn you both into weapons to be used against The King. And, the cloak and dagger is his M.O. he is a very hard person to find let alone catch. So far, the only way we have been able to get close is if he lets us get close.” He said frustrated.

“So what? He is a rogue, like Mag?” Astero asked, looking at mag as he did so. 

“There is a difference between a rogue and a mastermind.” Wake replied simply. “Rivin is smart, like you Astero, but on a completely different level.” His lips turned into a contemplative frown.

Magdiana looked at Wake for a moment before she spoke. “Are my parents my real parents? And, do they know that Astero’s brother took me?” She asked simply.

Wake gave a small chuckle, and looked to Magdiana. “Yes, they’re your real parents.” He told her honestly. “And, no, they don’t know it was Rivin. I shudder to think what your mother would do to Astero if she knew.” He said honestly.

“Oh, great.” Astero grumbled, hanging his head. “So, not only is it going to be super awkward to talk to your Mom. Mag, she might already want to kill me, but, if she finds out about all of this, she’ll actually kill me.” He breathed out heavily in a single frustrated breath.

She grabbed Astero’s hand. “Hey, she won’t kill you. I won't let her.” She assured him, trying to calm him down.

“Mag…” Astero sighed, looking into her eyes. “My brother tore apart your family. She has every right to be pissed off at me.” He explained seriously, tearing up as he did so.

She looked at him seriously. "And, that was infant you's fault?" 

He shook his head. “No, but I would still be mad.” He responded.

"Then, she can take it out on me." She told him. "You don't have to fight her or let her beat you."

“That’s not fair on you, though.” Astero told her. “I don’t want you fighting your mother.”

She smirked. "Why not? Afraid I'm going to be stronger than you?"

“No, afraid you’ll have your ass kicked.” Astero adjusted in his seat to look at her squarely in the eyes. “She told off Wake like he was nothing. You wouldn’t last a minute against her.”

"I won't, but I'm pretty sure she has incentive to keep me alive, As." She laughed.

He sighed. “Well, duh, but it still isn’t right to have you fight her. That’s just... messed up.” He shook his head.

"So, then, we'll both fight her. I'm not going to let her beat on you." She told him, looking determined. "Mother or not."

“And, I'm not letting you fight her.” He told her seriously.

Wake stood up. “Children!” He yelled loudly, getting the attention of both of them. “Stop arguing, and focus. You can worry about telling her parents at a later date. For now, do you have any other questions?” He asked them, trying to change the subject.

"Is…" Magdiana sighed. "Is it safe here?"

Wake nodded at her. “Yes, Rivin is a master of infiltration, but he wouldn’t try to take you from here as you are now. You two would put up way too much of a fight.” He chuckled.

Astero chuckled lightly. “Yeah, we would.”

"We still want to train with you. I don't want to be taken by surprise." She explained, looking to Astero.

Astero nodded in agreement. “We need to get stronger, and you seem to be our best bet.” He told Wake, looking at Magdiana.

Wake nodded, and looked between the two of them. “You can still train with me. That was always going to be an option.”

"I actually have one more question." Magdiana blushed. "Sorry for interrupting."

“It’s fine.” Wake smiled. “What is it?” He asked back.

She pulled the adamantine coin out of her pocket. "Any idea why I had a tag from home to The Rook? And, why they gave me a coin purse with platinum and that?"

Wake looked the coin over, and smiled. “Well, if you got this coin, it means you did some good work. The platinum was just a tip.” He nodded, handing the coin back to her. “Consider yourself lucky. It’s not easy, getting one of those.”

"I don't even know what I did." She hummed, taking the coin back.

“You probably made some really good poison, or you just met the right guy.” He thought it over for a moment. “Either way, hold onto that. It can be very useful.” He said honestly.

"I did make a large order of specialty midnight tears this week." She hummed before she winced. "Obviously, they worked."

Wake winced, and nodded. “Yeah, they more than likely did.” He replied, shaking his head. “Plus side, now, you might be the go-to girl for those. Assuming they come back.” He told her. “It is a good coin to have.”

"You don't have to tell me that. Damn near doubled the amount of coin we have to buy the…" She trailed off.

“Buy the, what now?” Wake said blinking in confusion.

Astero sighed, glaring at Magdiana. “Really? Word vomit at a time like this?” He asked her seriously.

"I word vomit when I'm stressed, As. You know that." She sighed.

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed, looking to Wake. “We were planning on buying a house.” He told him with clear annoyance written all over his face.

Raze, who had been silent in the corner for the whole conversation squealed. "So romantic!" She sighed.

Wake looked to his wife, and shook his head before looking to Magdiana. “And, let me guess, you haven’t told either of your parents about any of this. Have you?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was going to wait until we were a little closer to how much we needed, and, then, the letter happened. And, I was afraid to go sleep there. Just in case…" She blushed.

Wake sighed, and put his head in his hands. “Mag, please go home tonight, and be with your parents.” He told her seriously. “Both of them have been worried sick about you, and even Jacob has noticed your being gone. Please, just talk to them.” He pleaded with her. “I assure you, they are who they say they are. They just want to spend time with their daughter. That’s all.”

Magdiana looked away from everybody. Her eyes were watering dangerously. She wasn't blinking for fear that the tears would fall. "It's difficult, okay? I grew up with different parents. I called them Mom and Dad. They were there for everything important. Then, one day, bam! These strangers are my parents, and, yeah, it feels right. But, they don't know a thing about me. Hells, I didn't know my surname until a few days ago. I'm trying. It's just hard."

Astero put an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. “It’s okay, Mag.” He whispered, quietly assuring her that everything would be okay. “No one is judging you. We get that it’s hard. We do. Just take it easy with them. You don’t have to jump in, and be all lovey dovey family crap in a tenday.” he joked. “You can take your time.”

Wake smiled, and nodded. “He’s right. One step at a time.” 

She fell into Astero's arms. "And, I feel so unfair. How come I get two sets of parents while Astero has nobody. He doesn't deserve to be alone."

Wake sighed, and leaned in. “He isn’t alone. He has you, and also us.” He started, speaking quietly to both of them. “Astero, you will never be alone so long as The King lives. Mark my words on that. You will always have someone there to watch over you.” He told him. “And, Mag, if you two are going to be a couple, he will meet your parents eventually. If I know them like I think I do, they will take him in like one of their own.” He smiled. “So, don’t worry. You two will always have someone.”

Magdiana sniffled against Astero's chest. She looked up at him. "Will you walk me, please?"

“Of course, I will.” He smiled down at her.

"Thank you." She mumbled, glancing over at Wake. "And, thank you, even if you are an ass."

Wake shrugged. “I just like to know things… and you’re most welcome.” He smiled a toothy grin at her.

"Could you please stop insinuating that we're having sex then?" She sighed. "Because if this escalates too much more, there will only be stories of what started the prank war."

Wake chuckled at her. “Hey, when I see your clothes sitting on a chair with a pile of daggers on top of them, what do you expect me to think?” He asked her.

"That I'm wearing different clothes, Wake!" She yelled.

He put his hands up in the air defensively. “Okay, calm down. I’m only pulling the piss out of you. Jeez, no need to get agitated.” He said, shaking his head.

"Alright. I give up." She threw her own hands up. "I'm exhausted. Let's get out of here, please."

Astero stood up, and held out a hand for her. “Yeah, this has been a long day.” He sighed.

Wake nodded, and stood up with Raze going to unlock the door for them. “Goodnight, guys. Sleep well.” He said simply, waving them off.

Magdiana took Astero's hand as they walked out of the room. "My pack is still in your room." She murmured quietly.

“Let’s go get it first before we head off.” He replied back.

"I love you." She told him at a whisper.

“I love you.” He whispered back, squeezing her hand lightly, leading her out of the room, and upstairs to go get her pack.

When the two left, Raze looked to Wake with a wide smile. “They’re so adorable!” She enthused gleefully.

“Yes, they are, dear.” He smiled back at her, giving her a small kiss.

Magdiana walked into the room to grab her pack, but Astero beat her to it, slinging it over his shoulder. "I might have a hard time sleeping tonight."

He sighed. “I’m sorry,” He apologized, giving her a kiss. “I would spend the night with you, but I highly doubt your parents would let me stay.” He told her honestly.

"I can only guess." She replied, "And, my guess is that you're right."

“Yeah.” He sighed, leading the way. “I still haven't even met your Dad.” He told her.

"I'm probably in trouble or something, so you don't want to meet him tonight, I don't think." She sighed. "I think you'll get along, though."

“Well, then, I will drop you off a good distance away from your house. Just to be safe.” He grimaced.

"You weren't keeping me away." She assured him. "It's not your fault that I haven't been around."

“I know, but I wasn't helping either.” He chuckled. “We did get very close.”

She nodded. "I really like that closeness. Makes me look forward to the future house."

“Soon.” He smiled at her. “Just need to tell your parents. Actually, we have a lot to tell them.” He worried aloud.

"Will you come to dinner? Maybe the day after tomorrow so that they have a heads up?" She asked.

“Yeah, I can do that.” He told her. “It will give me a chance to prepare myself for anything they throw at me. Maybe, I should bring something. A cake sounds good.” He chuckled.

She laughed. "They don't require a peace offering, I think, but I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

“Okay, then. You find out what they like, and I will make it.” He smiled at her. “And, a smaller one just for you.” He nudged her.

"You don't have to, but you know I will eat it. I need a lot of calories to keep up with my workout routine." She laughed, and blushed simultaneously. "Will you show me some of your fighter moves sometime? I think that I want to try it out."

“Okay.” He smiled at her. “Only if you show me how to smite.” 

"Honestly? I just kind of felt like I needed to protect Jacob, and, bam, smite." She replied. "I'll try to repeat it sometime."

“I still need to meet your brother.” He added. “He sounds nice.” He smiled.

She glanced at him. "He's a good kid with an unhealthy obsession for pointy objects."

“So… don’t summon my greatsword… got it.” he joked.

"Or the dagger. Was I that bad? Please tell me I was better." She asked him somewhat desperately.

“Oh, gods, no.” He told her honestly. “You had a build up to the 14 daggers.” He chuckled.

She sighed. "Good. I don't want him to be like me, though. I brought daggers to school. That was… probably not okay."

He raised an eyebrow in thought. “Didn’t you get caught once?” He asked her.

"Only with one. They weren't brave enough to find the rest." She laughed.

“Figures as much.” He chuckled. “My roguish girlfriend.” He smiled at her before realizing what he’d just said, and blushing a bit.

"Well, thank you, my eldritch knight." She curtsied.

He pulled her close to his side, and kissed her. “You’re welcome. Please never change.” He smiled at her.

"I don't know how to be anything else besides this." She giggled, planting a big kiss on his cheek.

He smiled, and sighed quickly after. “Why do you have to stay here tonight. Don’t answer that. I already know why. I’m just going to miss you.” He replied honestly.

"I'm going to miss you." She told him. "I wish you could stay. I don't think I'll sleep tonight except for that nap from earlier."

“I know. Don’t remind me.” He sighed. “I know we both have tomorrow off, but I doubt we will be seeing any of each other.” He told her honestly.

"What about our plan to check on you know who's office and the adventure?" She asked as they were walking by the docks. "Wait a minute. We're here now."

He looked at her, and, then, at the ship in question. “How quickly do you think you could get in and out?” He asked her seriously.

"Depends how complicated the lock on his door is. Maybe two minutes?" She guessed.

“Okay, then. I’ll keep watch.” He smiled at her encouragingly.

She pulled her tools out of her bag, and slunk into the shadows unseen, leaving him alone for a few minutes before she returned just as silently as she'd left. "Easy." She commented.

“Good.” He replied. “So, what does it look like in there?” Astero asked her, starting to slowly walk in the direction of her house again.

"Pretty boring, honestly. Walk in, dresser to the left. Bed next to that. Big one given that he's alone without his wife and doesn’t sleep. Couple windows out the back, and there's a big table with maps and tools all over it on the right of the room." She gave him a basic idea using her hands to gesture to the imaginary room.

He thought it over for a moment. “Okay, let’s not mess with the maps. We don’t want him to get lost at sea.” He started. “What if we do something with the dresser?” He asked her.

"Oh, definitely, we can make it so, if he opens one drawer, they all open in the most annoying fashion possible." She laughed.

“Yes!” He enthused with her. “We have a plan.”

"I want to rig one drawer to puff flour in his face." She thought out loud.

“Or, we rig it so that, opening the top one, hits him in the groin.” He chuckled.

She winced. "I'm not even a guy, and that sounds painful."

“It is.” He replied honestly. “But, it would be funny.”

"It's really too bad that we won't get to see his reaction." She sighed.

“Yeah, but I think just knowing it’s going to happen is funny.” He mused, holding her close.

"We should not be around The Rook when he comes home." She giggled, seeing as her house was becoming visible in the distance.

“Let’s see if we can be adventuring by the time he gets back.” He smiled at her.

She looked at him sadly. "We're not going tomorrow. Are we?"

“Do you think your parents will want you to leave at all tomorrow?” He asked with a frown.

"I don't know." She sighed. "Probably not…" She looked at the house and back to Astero. "Please, don't go."

“I don’t want to.” He murmured, hugging her tightly.

She hugged him back, not letting go for several minutes until the front door of the house opened. She looked over, and, in the light, saw her father waving them over. Or, was it just her? She wasn't sure. She looked at Astero.

Astero only saw the silhouette of a person in the dim light. “I can’t tell who that is. You have the better vision” He chuckled, pulling away lightly.

"It's my Dad, but I can't tell if he's just wanting me or both of us." She told him.

“Well, how about this. You go on ahead, and I’ll wait here. Okay?” He smiled at her. “Just wave me over if he wants to say hi.”

She nodded, walking off, and greeting her Dad. "Hey. Was that a get inside or a bring him over wave?" She asked.

Marius looked at his daughter with a raised eyebrow. “It was a hey get over here and let me see the guy who has stolen my daughter away for the last three days wave.” He half-smirked.

Magdiana waved Astero over, and watched him start to stroll up. "It's a long story. Not all necessarily his fault. Ask Wake."

“Oh, will ask him a plethora of questions, but I want to ask this man some first.” He grumbled, seeing Astero walk up to greet him.

“Hello, sir.” Astero greeted, extending a hand.

“Hello, you must be the infamous Astero I’ve heard so much about.” He chuckled. 

“Yes, sir.” Astero nodded. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you yourself.” He smiled back.

Marius smiled at the young man. He seemed nice enough. “So, you’re the man who ran away from Yutan with my daughter, and has stolen her heart.” He started looking him over appraisingly.

"And, saved my life." Magdiana added for emphasis, trying not to submit to the embarrassment that was washing over her at the moment.

Marius looked to his daughter, and, then, to Astero. “Well, I will thank you for that.” He replied, giving Astero a small hug before pulling away. “But, would it be possible to have her back for a few days?” Marius asked the young man. “We would like to spend time with her, too.” He joked. 

Astero laughed. “Yes, I was just walking her home to do that.” He half lied. “I figured you would want to see her.”

“Thank you.” Marius smiled at him before turning to Magdiana. “I like him.” He told her.

"Please just don't smite him for keeping me away. It wasn't his fault." She blushed.

“I figured it wasn’t all his fault.” Marius sighed, looking at her reaction. “And, I'm not going to smite him. Your mother might be a different story.”

"Is she asleep?" She asked a little concerned.

“Nope” Eri said stepping out of the door. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” She grumbled, looking between Magdiana and Astero.

Magdiana looked between everybody. "Can we do this inside?"

Marius looked at his daughter and, then, to his wife. “Let’s go inside.” He smiled at Eri. “That way, the neighbors don’t wake up.” He offered, lightly pushing his wife inside the house. “Come in, guys.” He told the kids, gesturing the two inside.

Eri walked over to the table, and pulled out a seat for Astero. "You can sit next to me." She said in a voice that promised a world of pain.

Astero took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He said sitting down, and being pulled next to her.

Magdiana sat across from Astero next to her father. She put her head on the table. "Fuck this tenday."

“Don’t worry. It’s almost over.” Marius said rubbing her shoulders. “You’ll make it through.”

"Thanks." She mumbled into the table before looking up. "Where do you want to start?" She fought the urge to groan.

“Well, how about telling us how long this has been a thing?” Marius said, pointing a finger between the two of them.

“It only started a few days ago.” Astero said. “It was kinda a spur of the moment thing.” He said honestly.

Magdiana shook her head. "Speak for yourself." She chuckled.

“Okay. we only realized our feelings were mutual, a few days ago.” He corrected himself, glancing at Eri as he spoke.

Eri made a tutting sound before speaking. "And, so we instantly started spending the night?"

“No.” Astero replied. “That only started recently. We figured things out a few days before that.” He told her honestly.

"I accidentally stayed the first night. Just fell right to sleep on his couch." Magdiana explained.

“Yeah.” Astero agreed. “And, one night became two, and so on, and so on.” He added, rolling his fingers.

Magdiana blushed. "I haven't slept that well in a while, so…" She trailed off.

“You don’t need to go into details.” Marius said making a face.

"Don't look like that. We're not…" She sighed. "We're not having sex."

Marius looked at the two of them. “Not yet.” He said firmly, shaking his head a little.

Eri quietly looked at Astero. She was almost too calm right now. It was eerie. "What are your intentions with my daughter?" She asked simply.

Astro gulped audibly. He looked at Eri intently. “Well, Mag is the only one I really know here in Asesh. And, well, I want to keep her safe and make sure we look after one another.” He told her honestly, looking at Magdiana with a small smile.

Magdiana smiled back at him, but before she could speak, Eri chimed in, "And that's special enough for several back to back overnight stays, Magdiana?"

"Mom," Magdiana groaned this time. "Please, you don't know the whole story. Wake took us into the basement to talk about it. I guess that's serious."

Marius raised an eyebrow at that. “Well, yeah. That means, he trusts you. I can ask him what happened, but we would rather hear your side of the story.” He said to her.

Magdiana looked to Astero. "How much do you think I can say?"

“Well, most of it, I think. Other than a few bits.” He said, reminding her of her brother and her parents not knowing.

"Astero got a letter from… his brother… the other day. It really freaked us out. That's why I wasn't coming home." She told them bluntly.

Astero’s eyes went wide as she said that, but he quickly made his face turn back to normal. “Yeah, it was jarring to say the least.” He said quietly.

Eri looked between the two of them. "There's something special about his brother." She surmised.

"Can't talk about it. I've probably already said too much." Magdiana responded. "Now, you know."

Marius nodded. “Well, if Wake says something like that, he means it.” He told them with a small sigh. “That guy likes to get all of the info, and tell no one but his wife.” He chuckled lightly.

"She is the worst gossip in town." Eri scoffed. "Or, well, she doesn't spread it. She just likes to hear it."

“Amen to that.” Astero replied with a sigh. “She was using us for her own personal drama story.” He chuckled.

Magdiana sighed. "Yeah. Apparently, we're the entertainment of the decade."

“Then, you two must have been fun to watch for her to keep an eye on you.” Marius smiled at them.

"That's it. I'm climbing in through your window from… now… on. Sweet Mask what is wrong with me tonight." Magdiana blurted.

Astero looked to her and, then, to Eri. “Raze was getting annoying, and so was Wake.” He half-grinned.

"Wake was worse. Had to stab him to get him to shut up." She grumbled. "Threatened his ability to procreate too."

“Yup, Wake will do that.” Marius chuckled.

Eri started to laugh, and raised a fist across the table to bump with Magdiana's. "That's my girl."

“We also may or may not have broken into his ship to maybe, maybe not prank him.” Astero added.

"Shh. Don't tell them our secrets." Magdiana smirked.

“Not all of them. Just that one.” He smirked back.

Magdiana looked at her father. "When does The Raven leave port next?"

Marius smiled at her. “Well, I technically can't tell you that it will be leaving in three days, and that it will be gone for four days. So, I guess you will have to find someone else to get that information from.” He shrugged.

“Well, I guess, we’ll have to figure out a different way to prank him. Rats.” Astero said sarcastically, snapping his fingers to punctuate the sentence.

Eri laughed, looking at Astero with a bit of mischief. "I won't tell you that when he fights his weak point is behind him. That would be cheating."

“That it would be.” He smiled at Eri. “I guess it is a good thing I’m really good at wild guesses, then, huh?” He chuckled.

"Hey, he doesn't have a porn stash in his dresser that I don't want to know about, right?" Magdiana asked. "That's the thing that I most definitely didn't want to booby trap."

Marius leaned over to her. “No, it’s not in his dresser. Just don’t look under his bed.” He whispered to her.

"Really glad that I didn't look that hard." Magdiana made a face.

“Good thing.” He replied, patting her back.

"Are we good?" Magdiana asked her parents a bit nervously. "Because I'm drained, and I'm not going to sleep tonight."

Marius looked at his daughter. “I’m fine. I wasn’t nearly as worried as your mother was” He smiled, pointing to Eri.

Eri looked at her daughter. "Just, please, go slow. You were this big yesterday." She gestured. "And you," She pointed to Astero. "Are coming to dinner tomorrow."

“Alright. I can do that.” Astero replied. “What type of cake do you like?” He asked her.

"Lemon cake." Eri smiled, looking to Magdiana. "He can cook!"

Magdiana chuckled. "Yeah. I'm pretty lucky."

“Alright, I will make a lemon cake before I head over here. What time?” Astero asked her curiously.

"Around five. I like to keep Jacob on a schedule or he gets hangry." She laughed.

“Okay. I will have it ready by then.” He smiled back.

Magdiana stood up, and walked over to Astero. She hugged him. "Sleep well."

He smiled as she hugged him, and hugged her back in kind. “You too. I will see you tomorrow.” He replied, standing up. “Well, it was a pleasure to finally meet you.” He smiled before starting to make his way to the door.

Magdiana squeezed his hand, not wanting to say a few very important words in front of her parents. She smiled up at him, and sadly began to walk to her room. Tonight was going to be a long night.

Marius waved Astero off, and watched as he disappeared into the night. He turned to look at Eri. “So, what do you think of him?” He asked her.

"I think that I just got my daughter back, and I've already lost her to that boy." She sighed.

“Yeah, I feel the same way.” He sighed, holding her hand.

"He's perfect. He'll protect her. He already has, but…" She looked down sadly just letting her thoughts hang there.

“We just wanted more time with her.” He said pulling her close.

She sobbed into him. "Marius, this is so hard. Wasn't it supposed to be easy? Just getting her back? She's an adult. Why is it so difficult?"

“It was supposed to be.” He soothed, rubbing her back. “It’ll get easier. It will just take time.” His hand moved upward, wiping wetness from his eyes.

She cried for a few minutes before she sniffled, and pulled away, feeling a bit better. "He doesn't have any family."

“No, I’m pretty sure he’s been by himself for most of his life.” Marius replied.

"He never trained with his Dad, or cooked with guess Mom. He was all alone." Eri thought aloud, starting to come to conclusions in her mind.

“He’s a trooper for being so strong through it all, and he still has a sense of humor, as well.” Marius looked down, and smiled at her.

She looked over at him. "What? My future son in law needs parental figures, Marius."

“Uhhh. What? Don’t you think you might be rushing things dear?” He asked her seriously.

"Rushing what? The way he looked at her, I wouldn't be surprised if they moved in together soon. And, did you see the way she moved every time he moved?" She asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, I did, and she looked so sad when he left. I can see why they were staying the night together.” He sighed a bit. “My bet’s on that they will sleep like crap tonight.” He told her.

"She already said she wouldn't sleep tonight." Eri responded helpfully.

Marius sighed. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow, isn’t it?” He asked her.

"We've got a cranky rogue in the house." She laughed.

“At least, there will be cake later in the day. Jacob will love that.” He laughed.

"Oh, great. Another set of weapons for him to fascinate over." Eri sighed. "I give up. Just train him already."

“Really? Are you sure?” He asked her seriously. “I don’t mind waiting a bit longer.”

She shook her head. "Just go over safety for Corellon's sake."

Marius smiled, and gave her a small kiss. “I will, and thank you.” He replied enthusiastically, hugging her.

"Just don't forget what happened to Mag." She warned. "Be careful."

He rubbed his side a bit. “It will be hard to forget.” He told her honestly. “I will, don’t worry.”

"What did happen with that?" She asked.

He sighed a bit. “Well, Mag was showing Jacob her daggers, and I walked up. She got protective of him, threw the dagger at me, it glowed and hit me in the side.” He explained to her.

"And, it's still bothering you?" She asked, pulling up his shirt to investigate.

“A bit. She did hit me pretty hard.” He told her.

"Right above your liver, too." She remarked, rubbing her hands together, and touching him. "Let me know how you feel in the morning."

“I will.” He told her. “Thank you.”

She smiled. "What are clerics for?"

“Being wonderful wives?” He smirked back.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She smirked.

“I do try.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

Eri kissed him back before checking the doors and windows. She turned off the lights, and dragged Marius to their bedroom. On the way, she stopped by her daughter's door and spoke. "Love you, Mag." There was no response. "You think she's angry or that she's snuck out?"

Marius shook his head. “I’m hoping for angry, but I don’t want to open the door to find out.” He whispered to her.

Eri looked at Marius's stomach. "I don't blame you. How did the others deal with that? And, it's just a normal reaction…"

“I know it is, but the others might’ve been the ones to start it, too.” He grimaced.

"Let's not think of that. Perhaps, some normalcy will set it right." She frowned.

Marius wrapped an arm around her, and led them to their bedroom. “I’m hoping too, but, for now, lets sleep. We have a dinner to plan for tomorrow.” He smiled at her.

"Yes. With dessert." She smiled. 

“I’m looking forward to it.” He smiled.


	9. Gambit

As they rounded the corner, their destination came into view. "Is it bad that I'm hungry again?"

He chuckled a bit. “No. I’m hungry too, but I am not cooking.” He told her.

"Well, hopefully, the kitchen guys aren't angry at you still." She smirked, reaching to open the door of the shop, but being cut off by Astero opening the door for her. "Thank you."

“You’re welcome, and, if they mess with me, I will kill them.” He told her following her into the building.

She laughed a bit. "Someone's hangry." She commented, walking in, and up to the counter with their flyer and proof of completed mission. 

The pair waited for a few minutes while the man completed another transaction before stumbling over to them. He looked like a former adventurer, and his limp spoke of his many adventures for him. "You two work quick." He commented, remembering the pair from earlier in the day. "Let's see what you've got."

Magdiana handed over the flyer, and the symbol. "We took this off of the leader there. Seems like some sort of… cult activity or something." She hedged around the subject.

The man nodded, waving his hand over the object, and nodding a few minutes later. "Seems to check out." He said, looking between the two of them almost with a bit of fear. "I'll get your pay."

Magdiana's eyebrow raised, and she looked to Astero before she asked the man. "What was that? Looked like a spell."

"It's called object retelling. Can go into the past of that object to see where it came from. Your story checks out, but they don't always." He responded, coming back over to them with a sack of coin. "Here you go, and thanks for your services."

Astero took the coin, and stowed it in his pack. "Thank you for the work." He said before turning to leave.

“No problem. Have a wonderful night you two. Have fun!” The man smiled at them.

Magdiana looked at Astero and, then, back to the man. "Thanks." She said, starting to walk towards the door. "I'm too tired for that level of happy." She quietly muttered.

Astero shook his head. “I'm also too tired for that. Cuddling, yes. No physical activities for the rest of the night.” He quietly replied.

"Wasn't planning on it." She winked at him.

“That wink suggests more than what you just said.” He deadpanned. “Let's just get to The Rook, get naked, and sleep. Okay?” He asked her with a yawn.

"Works for me. I'm more than happy with that plan." She pushed the door open, and held it for him. 

He walked through the door, and grabbed her hand before dragging her to The Rook. They went up to Astero's room, walked in, and slumped down onto the bed. Astero turned to Mag. “Let’s not go adventuring again anytime soon. Sound good?” He asked, starting to take off his clothes.

"Deal." She replied, starting to disarm herself and strip.

He watched her disrobe for a moment, and took off the remainder of his clothes before moving the covers for her to join him.

Magdiana left the room to use the facilities before joining him in bed. She crawled into bed next to him, and laid her head on his arm. Now, she was facing him rather than away. She kissed him. "I love you, Astero." She told him, looking deeply into his eyes. "Sleep well."

Astero looked back into her eyes in the dark room, kissing her in kind. “I love you, Magdiana.” He smiled softly at her, and pulled her close to him. “Sleep well, too.”

She started to turn around to get comfortable. Her eyes were closed, but her mind was far from sleep. Her training told her that something was still up, but she wasn't sure what. She had heard Rivin earlier on in the day while she was hiding. It sounded like Astero, but slightly different. She knew now that he wanted them to clean out that building for some reason and that they were still being watched. She still didn't understand why, but that might come with time. But, why couldn't she rest? Her mind kept going over the day over and over until she eventually, and rather reluctantly, turned her head to look at Astero. "As? Are you still up?"

Astero stirred slightly, and opened an eye at her. “Yeah, but barely.” He yawned.

"That shop keep. He wasn't the same one from earlier in the day, was he?" She asked.

He thought it over in his head for a moment before opening both eyes. “No, he wasn’t.” He responded, looking at her more intently.

"He sounded like you." She told him suddenly realizing that she was shaking in his arms.

He held her, but was shaking as well; not out of worry, but in anger. “That bastard. He gave us the fucking coin and,” Astero stopped, and got out of the bed. He ran over to grab the coin pouch, and dumped the contents on the table. Out of the pouch fell the coin, and a note. He opened the note and read it. 

_Dear Astero,_

_Glad to see that you have found somebody that you can trust. I hope that you two get along well together, and are confident in each others abilities. I am saddened that you two talked to Wake, but you will understand in time. In the meantime, thank you for taking care of those loose ends for me, you both did a wonderful job. Hope you two both find a nice house together. I will be seeing you around. _

_Your Brother,   
Rivin._

Astero was shaking in anger, before throwing the note across the room. “That fucker!” He yelled.

Magdiana stood up and held him for a minute, pressing her body against his. "It's okay, As. Calm down." She told him, kissing his chest before speaking again. "We will just have to assume that we're being watched from now on- until we can figure out a better way."

He sat down on the chair just holding her close to him. “We shouldn’t have to be on guard at all times that’s fucked up.” He told her. “He knows so much about us, and we know literally nothing about him. It’s hard, Mag.” He whispered, crying into her.

She stroked his hair calmly. "I know, As. I'm so sorry. I wish that I had a better solution, but it looks like we keep getting scryed on. I don't know about you, but I can't stop that."

He sniffled, and looked up at her, shaking his head a bit. “No, not at the moment, at least.” He replied, resting his head against her. “Or buying a magic item to stop it.” He added.

"There's not much we can hide at this point." She said, squeezing him a bit. "Both of those files from Yutan and here. We have to assume he's seen it all. If it were me, I'd have copies for myself. Some peon wouldn't have the only copies."

He sighed, and nodded. “More than likely. It’s just annoying is all. He knows more about you than I do, and I have known you for most of your life.” He responded, looking up to her. “I don't want him to. I want you for myself.” He squeezed her a bit, holding her close.

She held him for a minute before extricating herself from his body and going to get her pack. She dug through it before handing him her two files. "I have nothing to hide." She told him before moving away. "I'm burning that letter." She picked up the offending document, and did just that in the small waste bin in the room. The smoke made her cough and splutter a bit.

He gently took the files, and placed them down on the table. He moved to his bag, and pulled out his files. He walked over, and handed them to her. “And, I have nothing to hide from you.” He told her, giving her a small kiss before going back to the table. “Thank you.” 

She held the file in her hands for a moment before joining him at the table. "You're welcome."

He smiled at her, and looked down at the files in his hands. He didn’t open it yet. He was a bit nervous. He was holding very sensitive information on Mag in his hands. He almost didn’t want to, but he sighed and opened it. He could live with whatever was inside these files.

"Hey, As?" She asked, blushing.

“Yeah?” He asked her.

"When you get to the transcript of every word I said while high from fumes at the shop," she paused for a minute, "please don't laugh too hard."

He chuckled at her. “I promise I will try.” He smiled at her before he remembered something. “And, Mag?” He asked her with a similar blush.

"Yeah?" She mimicked his response from before.

“When you get to the part where I was completely shitfaced, I apologize in advance.” He frowned. “I said some things about you.” He told her honestly.

She laughed a bit. "I was purposely being vague. I said some things about you."

“Okay. Good to know.” He smiled back at her, reading carefully through the file.

"Aww, I don't remember your lisp." She sighed as she flipped a page.

“Yeah, that took me a while to work through.” He chuckled back before looking up at her and into her eyes. “Huh. One eye is a slightly different color.”

She nodded. "Yeah. One is like a chocolate. The other is chestnut."

“I like it.” He smiled. “It makes you unique.”

She gazed at the file for a bit. "Hypothermia… at age four. You almost died."

“Yeah, the lake wasn’t fully frozen. One of the reasons I never really learned to swim.” He sighed.

"Can you check something for me?" She asked. "What day did I end up in the temple with an unbreakable fever? The dates," she trailed off.

“It says Aubergine 16th.” He told her. “And, yeah, they are really accurate.” He shivered a bit.

She moved his files closer to hers, pointing at the date she was looking at. "And, a lot of them coincide."

He made a face at her. “The same day I was sick too.” He said sitting back. “You think they planned it?”

"I almost died of that fever too." She told him. "That's… Evermore was too damn small for two kids almost dying simultaneously to be a coincidence."

He looked at her, and, then, ran through several pages. “Look for the time at the dance, I went home early because I got called out, and, then, we had that fight remember?”

She pulled out the papers, and scoured them before reading them over. "I remember this." She murmured. "My parents made me leave early because I hadn't trained that day."

“I was called out, and needed to wait for the elders, we just happened to be in the same place at the same time.” He trailed off before scouring her file quickly, looking for one in particular.

"What are you looking for?" She asked.

“The day when I found out my parents died. When you kissed me.” He replied, rifling through the papers, and finding the day. He read it over, and his mouth dropped open. He looked at Magdiana, and handed her the paper with the note that was attached. It read ‘the two are getting too close to one another, must start causing issues to get them to dislike one another.’

She paled. "Oh, As…"

He just stared at her before standing up and hugging her tightly. “We could have been this way for much longer.” 

"I hate them." She started to cry into him.

“I know. I do too.” He agreed with tears in his eyes. “We could have,” he trailed off thinking of all the different outcomes.

"I know." She nodded into him. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry.” He squeezed her tighter. “All of the shit things I have said to you. The bruises. The cuts.” He listed off all of the wrongs he had done.

"They taught me how to make and use poisons. I used them on you." She sobbed.

“Mag.” He sobbed just holding her close to him. “I am sorry for everything.” 

"No. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, As." She murmured, holding him.

He held her tight simply crying for several long minutes. He caught his breath, and looked at her. “I forgive you, and everything you ever did to me.” He said resting his head on hers.

"And, you're already forgiven." She told him. "I love you."

“I love you.” He said kissing her softly. “More than life itself.”

"We might've been a couple for so long. We could've," she trailed off, stopping herself, but sobbing anyway.

“We could’ve done so much more together. Been friends, or a couple. Even our first times.” He whispered with wet eyes.

She rested her head on his chest, and listened to his heartbeat. "We might have gotten married. There's a lot of things we could've done if they hadn't stopped us."

“They fucked us out of having a normal childhood, friendship, and even a relationship.” His voice sounded annoyed, but he quickly calmed himself down. He looked down at her, and chuckled a bit. “They fucked with us for so long, trying to keep us apart, and we still ended up together.” He smiled at her.

"I'm not sure if that is persistent or lucky." She mirthlessly chuckled.

“I say it is both. We were lucky we were so persistent with one another.” He replied, rubbing her shoulder a bit.

She breathed quietly in his arms for a few minutes. "Can we sleep? Please. I'm so tired."

“Yes, we can,” he told her, letting out a yawn. “I still haven’t slept yet. Tomorrow is going to suck.” He sighed, picking her up and bringing her to the bed.

"Tell me about it. I have to sleep at home tomorrow or face the collective wrath of both of the smiting parental units." She grumbled.

He placed her down in the bed before laying down next to her. “Fuck, I forgot about that.” He groaned, putting his face into the pillow. “Can I just steal you back here again?” He asked her.

"I'll leave my window open. Just sneak in. I don't want to push my luck more than I already have lately." She mumbled.

“Okay.” he said holding her close. “I will try to get off early and walk you home.” He softly spoke to her, sleep starting to hit him. 

"Don't worry about being early. Probably a long shift tomorrow." She sighed, nuzzling into his chest. "G'night."

“Night.” He mumbled, as he began to gently snore.

The sunshine rose before either of the two lovers the next morning, and it was almost simultaneously that they awoke in panic, Magdiana sitting up and looking outside. "We're late." She murmured before processing her words. "Shit. We're late!" She scrambled out of bed and over to her pack. 

“Oh, fuck!” Astero grumbled, jumping out of the bed, and beginning to get dressed. “Of all the goddamn days for this to happen.” He grumbled, putting on pants as fast as he could. “It had to be the start of the fucking week.”

"Yep!" She grumbled, pulling her shirt on, and ignoring her dagger holsters. "Fuck. I don't have time for the weapons."

Astero quickly pulled on the few remaining pieces of clothing, grabbing the first dagger he could find, and placing it in her hand. “Then, just hold onto the the one.” He told her, stealing a quick kiss from her before bolting out of the door. “See you later. Love you. Bye!” He told her rapidly.

Magdiana finished dressing, threw her daggers in her bag, and started to sprint to work. When she arrived, Charles had already opened up, and a few customers were milling about. She panted as she walked behind the counter. "It's a long story. I'm so sorry."

Charles looked her over and saw how much of a mess she looked. He looked upset, but, surprisingly, his words didn't say as much. "I've gotten several orders while you were gone. They're on your workstation. And, I need you to work eighth, ninth, and tenth day for a week or so while I hire a new weekend girl."

"Thank you." Magdiana muttered, stepping into the back, and getting to work. Today would be a long day.

Astero ran through the door, and directly into the kitchen. He saw a disgruntled Gordan, and put up his hands. “Look, I’m sorry. Some stuff came up last night, so I slept in on accident.” He told him quickly starting to get the food prepared for today.

Gordan shook his head at Astero. “I expected this to happen someday just not so soon.” He told him honestly. “Please don’t make this a habit. I am not as young as you.” He explained to the young man.

“I promise. It will only be a rarity.” He promised, getting dough ready for a large order for later in the day. He was going to be earning his keep today.

Magdiana looked at the sky when she left the shop. It was late. Already past sundown. She automatically started to shuffle towards The Rook, but remembered that she needed to go home. Then, she remembered Astero. Was he out of work? Her brain was fried from dealing with intricate and potentially deadly recipes all day, and some idiot customer had said, 'surprise me' with a 500 gold limit. That left her with a lot of options. Her feet automatically lead her to the sandwich shop that Astero worked at, and she was surprised to see that it was still open. The door rang when she walked in, but nobody was around. She started towards the kitchen. "As?" She called out.

"Just come on back, Mag!" She heard him call out.

She stepped into the kitchen, and saw Astero doing dishes like a madman. She came up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his middle. "I love you." She mumbled, closing her eyes and leaning into his body. "I've gotta work like two tenday straight to make up for today. Charlie looked face meltingly pissed."

"Gordon was a bit more understanding," Astero responded simply, "but still pissed. Why do you think I'm on late night dish duty?"

She let go of him, and looked at the stack of dishes with a sigh. "That stack of dishes is literal nightmare fuel for me." She told him, stepping over to the left side and starting to scrape and wipe the soiled dishes into the trash, handing them to him so he could clean and sanitize them properly. When she'd finished the task, she pulled the trash bag out of the bin and tied it. "Where's this go?"

He pointed to a door. "Dumpster is out that door. There's a brick right beside it to prop the door open so you don't have to go around to the front again."

“Anything else that needs to go out?” She asked, looking around.

“Nope. Took it all out earlier when we closed for the night.” He told her. 

“Alright. Be right back.” She told him, stepping outside, and propping the door open as she went. She kept her eyes on the swivel as she walked out, tossed the trash away, and returned inside. She closed the door, and checked that it was locked. “Done.” She announced as he finished the last dish.

"Okay, let me just mop really fast, and we can go." He said, going to a small closet, and getting the mop and bucket. He quickly finished the mopping, and, in a few short minutes, he walked up to her and gave her a big hug. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m done here. Let’s head out.” He pulled her close, and kissed her forehead before moving to hold her hand as he lead her out the door, locking up behind him. “We need to run to The Rook really quick before going to your place. I left all of my shit there this morning.” He told her quietly. 

She nodded. “Were there leftovers today? Given the time, I’m not sure if there is still dinner at home.”

“Yeah, I’ve got some. We’ll be fine regardless.” He smiled down at her, matching her pace as they walked towards The Rook. “You’re sluggish today.”

“You’re right. Among all the shit storm, I also started lady time. I feel like death.” She leaned into him for support.

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and gave her a soft kiss on the temple. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She responded, eyes closing tiredly. “It happens every month. I should be used to it.”

He looked a little stern. “You’re in pain. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I took a remedy earlier. Took the edge off, but I might just smoke something to help.”

“You're gonna smoke at your parent's house?" He asked her before they walked into The Rook.

She followed him upstairs. "Yeah, I am. It helps with pain and requires no magic or training on my part."

"Okay." He shrugged, packing his bag with a few things, and grabbing her hand again. "Let's go."

She followed him out of the room, and waited while he locked the door. As they walked downstairs, she looked to Raze. "See you later."

Raze nodded, and waved. "Good to see you, Mag." She turned to her husband with a frown. "You are leaving in the morning."

"I know," he frowned back, pulling her close, "but it will only be for a few days."

"Go get some rest." She sighed. "You will need it." Wake smirked, and walked away into their room.

Magdiana's ears picked up the conversation. "Shit, As. Did you hear that?" She asked when they were well out of earshot.

"You want to prank him now, don't you?" He asked a bit tiredly.

"Yeah." She nodded with excitement.

"Fine. It would be when he least expects it." He chuckled. "Let's go prank a pirate." 

She rubbed her hands together. "I'm glad that I have everything we need- except for the flour, but I can improvise. I think that I have talcum powder on me."

"Why in the nine Hells do you have talcum powder?" He joked.

"As, daggers can chafe when placed in certain places. It's a necessity." She deadpanned.

He facepalmed. "Too much information."

"You asked." She shrugged, looking around the docks. "You coming or are you on watch?" She whispered.

"Oh, I need to see this with my own eyes." He smirked, looking around imperceptibly before making his way forward with her as point. Their footsteps were silent as they snuck up the gangplank, and quietly let themselves into Wake's cabin. Astero closed the door behind them as Magdiana opened her pack for supplies. "I believe that the plan was threefold. One, puff of powder in the face. Two, drawer hits his groin. Three, all of the drawers open and close simultaneously in annoying fashion."

"Everything you just said are reasons why I'm glad that you're on my team." Astero told her with a smile.

She smiled back. "Which one do you think is at proper groin height?" She asked while grabbing the supplies to spring load a drawer. 

He stood next to the dresser, and pointed to the one he thought was best suited. “This one should do the trick.” He told her with a grin.

She pulled the drawer open and started to arm the drawer, as it were. When she was done, she tested it, and the drawer popped right out. "Oh, yeah. That'll hurt."

“Oh, yeah.” He replied, covering his bits. “I"m glad I won't be feeling that one.” He chuckled.

"And, you're the one who suggested it." She laughed at him, opening the top drawers, trying to find which one was most likely to be opened first. "I did not need to know what under clothes he prefers."

Astero looked around the drawers. “If it were me, I would go with underwear.” He told her. “Either he will open it at night, or first thing in the morning.” He smirked.

"You're evil. I love it." She grinned, starting to load up the drawer with everything needed to make talcum powder fly into Wake's face. 

“I have pulled a few pranks in my day.” He smiled. “Some of them were much worse.” He grinned evilly. 

She smirked. "Oh, I would love to hear about some of those." She said, closing the drawer, and starting to set the drawers up for opening simultaneously while still springing the other two traps. Before they left, she made sure everything was back in its proper place. "Am I forgetting anything?"

He hummed it over in his head. “No, I don't think so. Unless you can?”

"Actually. I did forget one thing." She leaned in to kiss him. 

“So did I.” He chuckled, kissing her back. “Are you ready to get out of here and sleep?” He asked her.

"Food first. We skipped dinner last night and breakfast this morning. My metabolism hates me right now." She told him honestly.

“Then, let’s you get food.” He smiled at her. “I already ate at work, so I’m fine for food.”

She nodded. "I'll eat anything." She complained as they walked out of the room, and she locked the door behind them with her thieves' tools.

“I know you will.” He chuckled. “Pretty sure I could half-ass a meal, and you would still eat it.”

"You are not wrong." She told him with confidence. "I'm pretty sure your, 'not trying' is eons ahead of my best attempt. That's another thing, if we'd gotten together sooner, I'd be fat and sassy."

“You wouldn’t be fat.” he chuckled. “Sassy yes, but not fat. I make pretty healthy meals.”

She nodded. "Healthy, yes, but I would be tempted to eat four portions instead of my usual three."

“If the other night was anything to go by, we would have burned the calories off one way or another.” He replied, nudging her slightly.

"We can still do that." She chuckled. "Most of the time."

“We really did do it at the best time. Didn’t we?” He asked, looking her over.

She nodded. "Yes." She blushed nicely all over. "This is the worst time for me. I get… really horny."

He nodded back. “Thank you for the warning. I will make sure to keep any advances to a minimum.” He told her.

"Thank you." She murmured, letting out a yawn.

“You're welcome.” He replied, yawning a moment later. He shook his head awake, and put his arm around her. “Now, let's get you food.” He offered, leading her back to The Rook for food.

"Wake and Raze are going to have Deja Vu." She chuckled.

“Well, I think Raze will. I saw Wake go into their room.” He chuckled back.

She thought for a minute. "Oh, yeah, they won't be a problem. He doesn't sleep. She told him to rest."

He chuckled. “Those two are incorrigible.” He sighed.

"And, that's after a decade." She shivered. "I bet they were unbearable a decade ago."

“Oh, gods. I can actually see it.” He groaned. “I'm glad we're not that way.” He smiled at her.

"As, we kind of are that way." She laughed. "We are just much more private than- all of that."

“We will just need to keep the noise down. Until we get a house.” He smirked.

She made a face. "I will try."

He rubbed her shoulder a bit. “If you need to, just cover your mouth with a pillow.” He told her. “It works rather well.”

"I just want you to hear what you do to me, and I don't realize how loud I'm being in the moment." She told him. "I don't need a pillow. I just want those sounds to only be yours."

“And, I will hear them. I love all the sounds you make.” He told her honestly. “I don’t want anyone else to hear them either, and your movements are equally as wonderful too.” He smiled.

She waggled her eyebrows. "Those are all yours."

He looked at her, and smiled. “Good.” He replied, giving her a small kiss. “Now, let’s get food before you mount me.” He redirected, seeing the look in her eye.

She sighed. "Maybe we," she paused for a long moment, "maybe we shouldn't cuddle for a few nights. I don't know how I'll react to you holding me while practically naked."

“We can try a night. Worst case scenario, I throw you off of me.” He told her.

"Okay." She told him quietly. When they made it to The Rook, one of the usual barmaids was manning the front instead of Raze. Magdiana's eyebrows rose to look at Astero.

“Yes, you were right.” He chuckled at her.

She chuckled. "I didn't say anything."

“I know what you were thinking.” He said looking at her before turning and ordering food for her.

"Thank you for not cooking after cooking all day." She told him. "I don't want you to kill yourself working."

“Don’t worry. I know my limits. That’s why I didn't want to cook.” He replied, sitting down at a table. “Also, I don't want to stand any longer.” He sighed as he sat down.

She sat down beside him, leaning into his side. "I love you." She told him, closing her eyes.

“I love you, too.” He replied, kissing the top of her head. He nudged her slightly. “Come on. Stay awake long enough to eat.”

"I'm up. I'm just enjoying your scent." She responded.

“Okay.” He sighed, looking down at her. “Just don’t get too comfy. The food will be here soon.” He chuckled.

She opened her eyes, and tickled his arm playfully. "I'm awake enough to pick on you."

He smirked at her. “You really are a horny one now, aren’t you?” He teased, grabbing her hand, and getting closer to her. “You might want to be careful, there are people around.” He whispered to her.

"I actually wasn't thinking about anything, but now I am." She told him, eyeing him up and down. She slyly squeezed his bicep, and possessively whispered into his ear. "Mine."

He calmly wrapped his arm around her, and smoothly trailed his hand down to her butt, before squeezing it slightly. “Mine.” He whispered back, smirking as he did so.

She tried not to jump while he did that as her food came to the table, thanking the server as she quickly dug into her meal. In record time, she was finished, and looked to Astero, wiping her face on a napkin. "Thank you." She told him, fishing out her coin purse, and placing a few silver on the table to pay for the tab.

“You're welcome.” He told her. “I'm glad you enjoyed it.” He let out a yawn before he continued. “Now, are you ready for bed?” He asked her.

"Yeah, but we've gotta go to my parents. They're probably worried." She yawned in return.

“I honestly don’t care where I sleep at this point so long as sleep is had.” He told her.

She got out of the booth, and held out her hand. ”Come on, you big lug. Let's get going."

He grabbed her hand, and looked down at her. “I am not a lug. Big, yes, but not a lug.” He joked while moving to the door.

"Well, with how much you're yawning, I will be lugging you around, so, I'm counting it." She smiled.

“I will make it. Besides, I don't think you could carry me there by yourself.” He chuckled.

"I can certainly try." She joked, looping her arm with his. "How are we going to roll? I go in, you sneak to my window? Just stroll in all casual?"

He hummed it over. “I will wait by your window.” He told her. “I think your parents might want a break from me.” 

She frowned. "I'm sorry. I know they understand. The timing is just-"

“Bad? Or too close to call?” He asked her.

"The timing is bad. It's been a couple of tenday I've been back in their lives, and I see you probably more than them." She surmised.

“It’s okay.” He told her honestly. “I would be annoyed at me, too, if I was in their position.”

She nodded. "Yeah. It's jealousy, but they're trying to be accommodating. I am- we are adults."

“Yeah, I understand.” He smiled at her. “I'm jealous of your parents. They are pretty awesome.” 

"I'm kind of jealous that your mom was a wizard. My mom is scary in a different way, but that world altering magicky bullshit is really fucking cool." She enthused.

“I don’t think she was that powerful.” he told her. “If she was, I think she would still be around.”

She nodded. "Yeah, I don't think that powerful wizards will just go down without leaving a crater behind to remember them by."

He nodded, and quietly walked for a bit. “That would be my mom.” He chuckled softly, reminiscing about the time he had with her.

"I'm willing to bet that, whatever happened, they either chose it or gave whoever took them a harder time than they bargained for." Magdiana looked at Astero. "I mean, if their son is anything to go by."

“Thank you.” He replied, giving her a long kiss. “It means a lot to hear you say that.” He smiled at her.

"You're welcome." She smiled, letting his kiss linger on her lips. "I would have loved to meet them as a girlfriend and not just their son's childhood whatever."

“They would have approved.” He smiled at her. “You actually remind me of her. Maybe that's why I like your Mom.” He chuckled.

Magdiana laughed. "My mom is much more sanguine than me. In both definitions of the word."

Astero laughed. “Yes, she is,” he smirked at her, “but you are still the one I like more.” 

"I would hope so." She smiled back, seeing her house appear in the distance. "She's, like, thirty years older than me."

“I ain't into older women.” He told her. “I prefer women to be my age.” He replied, slowing down. “Now, go and talk to your parents. I will be by your window. Take your time; I will be there.” He promised, giving her a small kiss.

She kissed him back, and walked to the front door, surprised that it was open. She yawned as she entered as if to punctuate her exhaustion. She saw both of her parents drinking at the dining table. She sighed, and walked in to join them. "Hey." She greeted quietly.

Eri looked over and smiled. "Hey yourself, Magdiana. Long time. No see."

“How’s it been?” Marius asked, with a grin.

"Crazy." She responded, sitting down, and looking between them. "Astero and I did a job for the adventurer's guild, and I basically passed out afterwards. Then, we both overslept and, I swear, my boss nearly melted my face off with a look this morning. I was ten minutes late."

“Well, it sounds like you had a busy day. Glad to know you told us about it.” He replied, looking at her with a small annoyed expression on his face.

Magdiana's eyebrow raised. "Told you about-? Did I forget to tell you something?"

Eri nodded. "You left shopping yesterday, and didn't come back. Among other things." She sounded calm, but quickly finished her glass of whiskey after she'd spoken.

"I'm sorry." Magdiana frowned. "I'm really not used to this. The people who raised me didn't seem to care if I was missing. Should've been a red flag, honestly."

Marius sighed deeply. “We know. We're just asking for a bit of communication is all.” he said seriously, looking at her. “We are still getting used to having an adult daughter. Let alone one with a boyfriend.”

"Hells, I'm still getting used to having a boyfriend." She told them. "I'll try to be better. I promise." She sniffled, suddenly realizing that she was crying. "Sorry…"

Marius walked over, and gave her a hug. “We know you will.” He murmured reassuringly while rubbing her back. 

She hugged him back. "I love you guys."

Eri joined their hug. "Go get some rest. We'll talk again in the morning."

"Okay." Magdiana sighed, rubbing her eyes, and going to her room. She closed the door and walked to her window, unlocking, and opening it for Astero.

A minute later, Astero slowly, and quietly made it into Magdiana's room. “Hey.” He whispered, yawning softly.

"Hey." She said, starting to get undressed for bed with a yawn. "Sorry for the wait."

“It’s fine. I wasn’t waiting for too long.” He told her, taking off his shirt and pants.

She laid down in bed, and opened up the covers for him. "I love you." She whispered before resting her head. "Oh, this is heavenly."

He laid down next to her, and pulled the covers over them. “Oh, yes, it is.” He sighed in relief before looking to her. “I love you.” He gave her a small kiss.

She kissed him back. "Goodnight, As."

“Goodnight, Mag.” He said softly, closing his eyes.

In the morning when astero awoke, he gently kissed Magdiana, before he began to get dressed for the day. “I will see you later.” He whispered softly to her.

"Yeah. Later." She told him back at the same level, watching as he climbed carefully out the window before she started to get ready for the day.

Astero closed the window, and began to make a large circle around the house. He made it a good distance before a voice called his name from nearby. “Good morning, Astero. How did you sleep?” Eri asked, leaning against a tree.

“Uh, I slept well.” He replied, looking pale. “How are you?” He asked her, trying to be as polite as possible given the circumstances.

Eri's face went from a smile to a more straight faced one. “Okay. Cut the crap. I know you snuck into the house. I have a spell that tells me when people arrive.” She told him honestly. “Did you really think it would be easy sneaking into, and out of our house?” She asked him seriously.

Astero sighed. “Well, I did, up until about ten seconds ago.” He told her honestly. “I am sorry, really I am. It’s just really hard to sleep when she isn’t next to me. I swear.” He said with pleading eyes.

She sighed deeply. “You two really did fall hard for one another? Huh?” Her eyes looking him over. Assessing him.

He chuckled a bit. “Yeah.”

“Fine. Just please ask beforehand. Okay? And, if I catch you two doing anything at all. I swear to Corellon, you will be pissing in nine different directions when I am done with you.” She warned, getting close to him. She stayed there for a moment before she retreated. “So, would you like to have breakfast with us?” She asked sweetly.

Astero blinked a few times before shaking his head at her. “Uh, sadly, no. I need to get to work. I open today, and the walk is much farther to there from here than it is from my room at The Rook. So, I will pass.” He responded, taking a few steps away.

It was at this precise moment that a sprinting Magdiana ran by. "Hey, Mom. Working open to close. Don't wait up!" She shouted on her way passed.

“Wait a second! I need to give you something!” Eri shouted, running to catch up with her daughter.

Magdiana slowed down a bit. "Sorry. It's a long run."

“It’s okay. Just take this.” Eri replied, sprinting up to her quickly, and handing her a small stone. “Just let us know when you will be back… and with guests.” She smirked. “Bye!” She replied, turning, and quickly making it back to the house.

Astero stood frozen for a moment before he began to walk to work. “What the fuck is her family.” He said shaking his head.

Magdiana waited for Charlie for a full ten minutes after the usual opening time this day, and, during that time, several customers arrived looking to shop, but, alas, Magdiana didn't have keys. One of the customers eyed her up and down, and she realized one of her hidden blades wasn't so hidden. She pulled her sleeve down. "It's a scary place out there sometimes." She told him, eyeing him back and realizing that he also had several blades on his person.

"You ever have to use those?" He replied.

"I'm a quick study." She told him, not answering the question.

He glanced around, and sighed. "Alright. Cut the bullshit. I'm here to get poisons. Are you their maker?"

"Yes." She responded quickly. "What do you need?"

"Witchbane poison. I have a spellcaster issue." He frowned. 

She sighed. Another potion she had to be careful with. "How many vials?"

"Four ought to be enough." He replied.

"I count fifteen blades on you. Are you sure it's enough?" She eyed him seriously.

"Can't afford that much of the damn stuff." He told her in surprisingly honest fashion.

She nodded. "Half up front is the store's policy."

He sighed, pulling out a coin purse. "When can I pick up?"

"This afternoon. It doesn't take long to manufacture. Just expensive materials." She responded. "Get out of here, and send somebody else for the pick up. I know too much."

The man was gone before she finished speaking. After that, Charlie arrived in a whirl of grumbles and demands for coffee, which she quickly cloyed him with. At the end of the day, she left the shop exhausted, but happy to find Astero waiting for her.

“Good evening, m’lady.” He smiled at her, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction.

She giggled at him. "Before we get too far into things, what's the plan? I have a sending stone and strict orders to check in."

“That makes sense.” He sighed a bit. “I am fine with either place. Your Mom said it was okay if I stay with you, so there is that.” He told her.

She nodded. "Do you mind going there for another night? I want to help Jacob train a bit, and would really like to get help with the magicky stuff soon."

“Yeah, I can do that. Just need to get some things, clothes and what have you.” He explained to her.

"That's fine. I want to see Raze anyway. Maybe, Wake has checked in." She giggled before she lost track of things. She told her mother their plans, putting the sending stone away in her pack again.

“I am hoping.” He chuckled back. “Let's find out, shall we?” He asked, holding his arm out for her to take.

"We shall." She joked, taking his arm, and strolling beside him. "I really need to get back into some sort of routine. My run still stands, but that's about it for now."

“Give it some time for us to settle into our jobs some more, and I will join you in a workout.” He told her. “Me eating as much as i do now without any real exercise is going to make me round.”

She eyed him. "Well, regardless, I like what I see, and imagining my sweaty boyfriend showing me how to swing his sword." She shivered.

“Yes. It will be like that. Just not nearly as erotic as you imagined it.” He chuckled at her. 

"What?" She looked at him. "I need to learn your fighter moves. And, afterwards, we can shower."

“Shower. Right.” He eyed her. “Yes, you will learn the moves, but moving will be hard when you are done. And, I don't mean the fun way.” He told her seriously.

"Maybe the first few times, but this shit is a lifestyle, As. I'm not going to be sore forever." She promised. "Then, workouts will be fun."

“Oh, yeah.” He agreed with her. “We will be having a blast.” He smiled at her

"And, then," She blushed, looking away. "And, then, we'll get a house." She quickly finished, trying to cover up what she was going to say.

Astero looked at her, and saw the red still on her face. “Yes, we will have a house, but clearly, you’re focused on the activities we will do inside.” He smirked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. Just trying to be good." She told him honestly. "I can make it a week."

He smiled at her. “Good. Because, i’m not going to lie, you being hot and horny is not helping my case at all.” He told her honestly.

"I'm sorry." She frowned. "At least, this should be over by the weekend. Ah, shit. I'm working this weekend."

He sighed. “Well, if you need to relax. You know where to find me.” He smiled at her. “I do know how to give massages.” He wiggled his fingers.

She looked at his fingers. "I bet massages with prestidigitation are magical. I hope Charlie hires someone before then."

“They are. Literally. Magic is being used.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I will be waiting for you. If you are working and I’m not, I will wait outside for you with food.” He told her honestly.

Her mouth damn near watered. "Chocolate."

He thought in his head for a moment before he smiled at her. “You're in luck. There is chocolate in my room.” 

"I have never loved you more than in this exact moment." She muttered nearly moaning. Then, the blush came. "Sorry."

He put an arm around her. “It’s fine. Just keep your hands to yourself when I change in the room. Okay?” He asked her with a smile.

"If I decide not to, you will still enjoy yourself, but I will need the coldest of showers." She joked.

“We are not in Yutan. The water doesn’t get that cold here.” He joked back.

"I do miss Yutan for that. The water was almost as cold as my soul." She laughed.

He laughed at her. “Your soul is warm and bubbly.” He told her. “You just like to look mean and brooding is all.” He said looking her over.

"My soul wears a black leather jacket and sunglasses if I say so." She tried to deadpan, but looked too happy.

“You would wear a green sundress, and dance through the grass if you could.” He smirked at her.

"As, have you ever seen me wear a dress?" She asked.

He thought it over. “Well, no, but I think you would look nice in one.” He told her honestly.

She smiled at him, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Okay, that was sweet. I need a sundress, now."

“That would be nice.” He smiled, putting an arm around her.

"For you, I could do that." She smiled, leaning into him. They quickly made it into The Rook after that, and she turned to speak to Raze. "How are you holding up?"

Raze made a face. "He is wonderful to have around in short bursts. His job is perfect for us." She paused a moment. "But that is not why you are asking, is it?"

"Has he checked in?" Magdiana asked with a straight face.

"Not yet." She responded with a suspicious look. "What did you do?"

Magdiana shrugged, walking up the stairs without another word. "Damn." She grumbled.

“Either, she will laugh and think it is hilarious, or she will come at us with a knife.” Astero told Magdiana. “I’m betting on the first one.”

"She's going to laugh and ask us to show her how to do it." She guessed.

“That wouldn’t surprise me.” He chuckled, opening his door, and letting them in.

Magdiana looked at the ruined puzzle, which was scattered all over after first dumping coin all over it and, then, placing their files on top. She walked over and started to clean it up while Astero took care of other things.

Astero went to a small cupboard, and pulled out a chocolate bar. He walked over, and gave it to her. “Here you go.” He smiled, handing her the treat.

Magdiana beamed at him. "Masks blessings upon you!" She enthused, ripping into the packaging, and savoring the melt in your mouth candy.

He smiled at her, and walked over to his dresser. “You're welcome. Now, sit on the bed, and behave.” He told her, taking off his shirt to change.

Magdiana eyed him, but kept fixing up what they'd done of the puzzle and eating the chocolate. "I can control myself by the power of chocolate."

He chuckled. “Okay, I will be sure to get more chocolate.” He promised, changing into a new set of clothes, and packing another set for tomorrow.

"Thank you." She told him. "I appreciate everything you do for me. I wish that I could do more for you, As."

“Don’t worry, you will.” He told her. “I am just used to living by myself after so long. When we get the house, I will be asking for groceries.” He chuckled.

"I was fully prepared to hear the word laundry." She shrugged.

“That too.” He smiled at her. “But, I will need you a lot more when we have the house.”

She waggled a finger. "So long as you understand that I don't do gutters."

“That’s fine. I don’t do yards.” He replied.

She smirked. "We will have the most beautiful and deadliest garden around. Aconite. White baneberry. Flowering thistle. Nightshade. All good for remedies or other things."

“I will not be surprised, then, if there are dead animals in the yard.” He chuckled.

"At least, we won't have a pest problem." She shrugged.

“Or, we could get a cat.” He added.

She thought for a moment. "A cat would be nice. Maybe a tressym."

“A flying cat would be cool, but you really need to earn their trust, though, They hold grudges.” He told her.

"I would be fine with a bit of a warming up period, but, perhaps, just a house cat first." She shrugged.

“That's fine with me.” He smiled at her.

She stole a kiss. "Ready to go?"

“With you? Anywhere.” He said grabbing her hand.

"Hey, As?" She asked, squeezing his hand as they left the room.

“Yes, Mag?” He asked her.

She looked at him as they walked down the stairs. "Do you want to smoke with me on the way there? I hurt, and I don't want to wait until later."

“I don’t mind. I just don’t know what it is, is all.” He told her honestly.

"It's just popsquite. Nothing hard or addictive. It helps take the edge off when I'm in pain sometimes." She told him.

“Okay.” He nodded. “I never had it, so why not?” He shrugged.

She waited until they'd left The Rook before she used her tinderbox to light the end of her smoke. She took a long drag, and held it in before blowing it out. She handed it to him and said, "It works better and faster if you can hold it in for a bit, but, if it's your first time smoking, you might not be able to for very long."

He took a drag, and held it for a moment before letting it out, coughing a bit. “Okay, I was expecting worse.” He replied, handing it back to her.

"Yeah, it's not instant." She told him, taking another drag. A moment later, she spoke while blowing the smoke out, and her voice sounded deeper. "It kind of builds up to a high. I admit, I had to use this after a spar or two back in Yutan."

He chuckled. “I don’t know whether to be glad or insulted.” He smiled at her. “Still, sorry.”

"It's fine. I lived." She told him. "Those first few fights after you could attack, extra attack, and repeat fucking hurt."

“Don’t sell yourself short. After you did that whirlybird take down, it hurt to walk for several days.” He told her.

"No offense, but that's what you get for pinning me to the floor so much." She told him, offering him a smoke.

He took it, and took a longer drag, holding it in longer this time. “I bet you wouldn’t mind it as much now.” He teased, letting the smoke out as he spoke. “And, I wouldn’t mind the acrobatics.“ He chuckled.

"No, I wouldn't mind now, but, back then, it pissed me off." She told him honestly.

“I’m sorry.” He told her. “It was the only way to stop you at the time. You are wiggly.”

"You like the wiggly." She told him taking a drag from the smoke while it was still in his hand. "Thanks."

“Sorry.” He replied, handing it back to her. “I do. It was fun to try catch you.” He told her blushing a bit. “Not that I need to now.”

"Thanks." She took another drag, and sighed. It was getting towards the end. "I need more of this, unfortunately. As for the catching, you are more than welcome to continue to do that. Might be fun."

He smiled at her, and shook his head. “Not tonight.” He told her honestly. “But I will take you up on that offer later.” He said looking into her eyes.

"Obviously, not tonight. I don't want you to get kicked out of the house." She told him. 

“Yeah, your Mom said she would make me piss nine different ways if she caught us doing anything. I don't intend to test that.” He made a face.

Magdiana's eyebrow rose. "You'd think that there wouldn't be enough pressure to actually allow that. Hmm."

“Mag. Please stop thinking about my dick in that way.” He told her seriously.

"I was not imagining any particular dick in that way." She snarked back. "And, definitely not yours. We will not be doing anything besides hold hands, kiss, and cuddle in that house. You need to be in one piece for this weekend."

“You make it sound like this weekend will be the best weekend of my life.” He smirked back at her.

She thought about it. "I mean, I'm not making promises, but I would like to spar and shower."

“We can do that.” He smiled, seeing the house come into view. “But we can talk about that later.”

"Yes, we can." She promised, watching as her father worked in the front yard with Jacob. "He's getting better."

Marius looked up to see Mag and smiled. “Yeah, he is getting there, slowly but surely.” He smiled at Jacob.

“I’m better.” Jacob smiled.

"Is the second dagger sticking yet?" She asked curiously.

“Not yet, but close.” Marius told her.

She gave Jacob a high five. "Keep up the good work, buddy. I'll come out, and join after I drop my things off."

“Sweet!” Jacob enthused. 

“And, if you guys don’t mind, I will as well.” Astero asked them.

“Not at all.” Marius told him. "The more, the merrier."

Magdiana walked inside slowly, and unloaded her pack in her room. She didn't bother changing clothes. Instead, she wound up passing by the kitchen and finding her mother. "Is there any chance for cleric pointers later?" She asked quietly.

Eri looked at Magdiana for a long moment. "Are you okay?"

Magdiana nodded. "Yeah. About as fine as I can be at the moment." She saw Astero start to walk outside to train. "I need to go help Jacob."

"What's going on, Mag?" Eri asked.

"I'm on my period. Nothing's wrong." Magdiana responded quickly. 

"Sorry, dear. Do you need anything?" She asked.

Magdiana shook her head. "I don't know. Took some stuff for pain. Feeling okay for now. Just sluggish."

Eri gave her a hug. "Go get some exercise. You'll feel better."

Magdiana nodded, and stepped outside to join the boys. She looked around. "What are we doing?"

Astero looked at Magdiana. “Well, I am currently watching your brother do pretty well at throwing, but, I am about to go for a run around the property.” He told her.

"I do need a quick warm up." She smiled, stretching a bit. "Let's go."

“Okay, let’s go.” He said starting with a jog, and taking off.

She ran next to him, keeping his pace. This wasn't a race. "We can't keep meeting like this." She flirted.

“It’s not so bad.” He smiled back at her. “The view is nice.” He flirted back.

She took a deep breath. "And, the flowers smell amazing."

“I do like the smell of roses.” He sighed, breathing in the air.

"Those are some of my favorite flowers." She told him.

“I will make sure to get you some then.” He told her.

She smiled. "I'm not picky on color."

“I will get a rainbow then. One of every color.” He chuckled.

"Well, don't hurt yourself. Rainbows have green. Roses aren't." She laughed.

“I think I could find a florist who could make them.” he told her honestly. “Magic can do a lot.”

She shook her head at him. "Alright, then. I request one dozen green roses."

“Okay. I promise I will get you them, someday. Once I find a place that makes them.” He laughed.

"You're silly, but I love you anyway." She told him.

“And, I love you.” He told her.

She eyed him. "It's no 10k, but this is nice."

“Yeah. A nice jog with you. It's just lovely.” He replied happily.

"It'll be nice to actually workout together and not against each other. We really do need to work on that." She sighed.

“Well, when we get back to the house, we can do more of that. Honestly, you sitting on my back while I do push ups sounds great.” He told her honestly.

She laughed a bit. "I will help, but will you spot me while I do handstand pushups? It's been awhile, and I might fall."

“I will.” He smiled at her. “All you ever have to do is ask.” He told her.

"Thank you." She was starting to pant. "I'm sorry, can we head back? I'm not up to snuff today."

“Yeah, we can.” He nodded, being a little out of breath himself. “That sounds nice.”

She turned to look at him. "We're already out of shape."

“It’s only been a tenday.” He sighed. “Fuck.”

"This is why we trained like we did." She told him matter of factly. "We've got to get back on a schedule."

“Yeah. We are definitely going to. This is silly.” He replied. “I know we are still in better shape than most people, but, still, this is just sad.” He sighed, slowing down a bit.

She nodded. "We've gone domestic, As." She dramatically made a face before coughing several times. "Okay, yeah, I deserved that."

He chuckled a bit. “That was funny.” He teased as he nearly tripped, but caught himself.

"Okay, I'm convinced, Mask is laughing at us." She giggled.

“Where did you say you got that dagger?” He asked her.

"There's a clearing back behind the house." She told him pointing. "Not too far off that way."

“Huh.” He said curiously. “Maybe he lives around here.” He chuckled a bit.

Magdiana shrugged. "I keep running into rogues, so I don't doubt that. The one from this morning was dumber than a box of rocks."

“How so?” He asked her not really knowing much about rogues.

"Overtly speaking instead of using thieves cant. Made an exchange in the middle of the street, and he came to pick up his order this afternoon personally." She listed just a few things that the man had done wrong.

“Well, it sounds like he won’t be around for long then.” He shrugged. “At least, it will look better for you.”

She nodded. "Yeah, he did place a big order. Got a nice commission off of it."

“Nice.” He smiled at her. “By the sounds of it, you are going to be able to pay for the house in full sooner rather than later.” 

"What did I say about our money?" She asked him.

He looked at her. “You still earned the money, you can do with it as you want.” He told her.

She looked at him in kind. "It's going towards our house. Not my house."

“I figured as much.” he told her. “I just wish I could bring in more.” He sighed a bit as he said that. “I don’t want you doing all of the work.”

"I'm not doing all the work. We earned five hundred gold together." She reminded him.

“I know. I just want the house sooner rather than later.” He told her honestly. “I’m starting to get stir crazy in The Rook.”

She smiled at him, playing with his hair. "Well, I can assure you that it will be soon. If my math is correct, we should be in the nine hundreds now."

He looked at her with a smile. “Thank the gods.” He said giving her a kiss. “I can’t wait.” he smiled.

"If someone were to ask for a supreme or superior healing potion, the commission from either of those will put it over." She surmised. "Or any very intricate poison."

“Or if anyone orders any cakes or speciality meals.” He added.

"Do you cater?" She asked curiously.

“Yes, and no. We do make food in large amounts for people, but we don’t deliver it. We could probably make more if we did, but that isn’t up to me.” He explained to her.

She nodded. "You definitely could. Would probably require more staff, though."

“Yeah, we would need to roughly triple the amount of people we have. That way we could have multiple deliveries at once.” He said thinking it over in his head.

"Mag! Astero!" Marius yelled from the yard. "Stop daydreaming and come join us."

Astero sighed a bit. “We’re coming!” He yelled back, looking to mag.

"Not the fun way." Magdiana added only for Astero's ears.

Astero smiled. “Soon.” He told her.

Magdiana watched a few throws of Jacob's blades before stepping in. "Can you walk me through what you're doing?"

Jacob nodded, showing her, and telling her step by step what he was doing until she asked him to clarify some steps. She made corrections as needed, and told him to throw again. Both of his daggers stuck, and there was rather raucous celebration from the boy. "I did it!" He enthused.

"Yes, you did!" She celebrated with him, watching her father's reactions out of the corner of her eye. He looked proud. Eventually, she pushed Jacob to Astero. "Let's learn fighter stuff."

Astero was suddenly surrounded by two new students, and was a bit taken aback. “Okay. Well, if you are going to be able to attack really fast you need to practice getting up to that speed.” He explained.

Magdiana was listening intently, watching Astero. Jacob on the other hand was busy watching her. She kept having to redirect him to pay attention to the lesson, and, by the end of it, was rubbing her temples a bit with a small smile on her lips. "Alright, let's do something practical." She finally said.

Astero looked at her, and saw her reaction to Jacob. “Okay. We just need something to punch.” He smiled, looking to Maruis. “Got a punching bag?” He asked seriously.

Marius looked at Astero curiously. “We do have one. Give me a minute.” He said going off, and coming back a few moments later. “Okay, here you go.” He said, stepping back.

Astero nodded, and gave the bag a simple punch. “Okay. So, most people can only punch that fast.” He told Mag and Jacob. “You are going to need to practice before you can get to this.” He said quickly punching the bag four times, in rapid succession. “Like that.” He said nonchalantly.

"Woah!" Jacob gasped, running up. "Me first!"

“Give it your best shot buddy.” Astero smiled, watching at Jacob before looking to Mag.

Magdiana looked at Astero, and chuckled, looking down at Jacob. She made a face to sort of tell him that she was trying to be patient despite the boy's excitement for weapons, fighting, and hitting. She gave Jacob a high five when he finished punching the bag.

“Alright Jacob. Good job.” He smiled at him, giving him a high five as well. “Alright, Mag. Let’s see what you can do.” He smiled at her.

Magdiana walked up, and made a face. "Speed, I can do. Power is more of a problem." She started to work the bag, and she really was fast. The bag wasn't moving much, though. 

Astero stopped her, walking around behind her, and grabbing her hands. He helped by showing her how to make a proper fist, and, then, by moving her arms making her whole body lean into the punch. "You have follow through with daggers, but, with fists, that's how you get power." He explained.

"Thank you." She tried out the new form, and smiled when she stopped. "That feels better."

"You're welcome. I'm glad." He smiled. "Ready for some strength training?" 

She laughed a bit. "You really just want to do those push ups."

He picked her up, and put her on his back. "Yes, I do." He replied before starting to do a set of push ups.

Magdiana got comfortable, sitting cross legged on his back. Around push up number fifty, she asked him. "You okay?"

"Just fifty more." He panted still working hard.

"Alright." She responded raising her hands a bit. "You don't have to go so hard, you know. We're both kinda out of shape right now."

He grunted, and kept going until he reached one hundred, rolling over and taking her down onto the ground with him. She laughed at his tired expression. "What did I just say?"

"Don't rub it in, Mag." He sighed, panting next to her.

"It's my turn." She told him, standing up. "Still up for being my spotter, or are you too tired?" She eyed her father out of the corner of her eye. "I can ask Dad."

Astero stood up in record time. "I've got this." He said, looking to Jacob. "You'll be up next. Okay?"

Jacob nodded, watching Magdiana get into a handstand position and start to raise and lower herself with nothing but her arms for support. "Woah." He gaped.

"You have to learn how to do a handstand consistently, first, bud." She grumbled. "What number am I on?"

"Forty-five." Astero told her, looking at the place where her shirt was riding up, revealing two of her hidden daggers. 

Marius took this moment to step in. "I'll spot her. You help Jacob."

Astero looked away from Mag, shaking his head, and turning to Jacob. "Uh, yeah. Have you ever done a push up before, buddy?"

"Yeah. A couple for gym class." Jacob answered. "How many?"

Astero thought for a minute. "Try for twenty, but stop if it hurts."

Jacob nodded, and started doing push ups. He finished with twenty around the same time Magdiana finished her one hundredth. She stood up, and panted red in the face. "Thanks for spotting me." She told her Dad, pulling down her shirt self-consciously. "Sorry."

Marius sighed. "It's fine, Mag. Just be careful." He told her quietly, pulling her to the side, and starting to walk around the house with her. "Has anybody ever taught you the spell?"

"Dad." Magdiana groaned, making a face. When she looked at him, she sighed. "No. I didn't have magic when I was given the talk."

Marius nodded and showed her the somatic component. "There's nothing else besides just letting the magic work. Remember to use it every time unless you are ready for a happy accident."

Magdiana turned red. "Please, stop." She asked, looking away. "I know how it all works. I'm twenty, not twelve."

He pulled her in for a hug. "I know, but you're still my little girl, and it's my job to protect you."

"Thank you." She said. "Really unnecessary, but thanks."

"Please just- not in my house." He told her quietly. "I'm trusting you both with this."

"Dad. Calm down. Not happening." She assured him. "It's way too creepy to want to even imagine that in the room you used as my nursery."

"Oh, thank Mask." He sighed as they made it around the house. 

Eri arrived outside now, and called out to the four of them. "Dinner's ready!" 

Jacob needed no other prompting, and ran inside to wash his hands. Magdiana, Marius, and Astero, however, were much slower. Astero was stretching his arms. "You're going to be sore tomorrow." Magdiana told him, stretching her arms. "Hells, I'll be sore tomorrow."

Marius laughed at the pair of them. “You two really think that skipping out on training for a couple of days will make you lose your edge so fast?”

“Yes.” They both said simultaneously, smiling at each other as they said it.

Marius raised his hands in frustration. “Alright. You two have officially spent too much time together.”

“Dad, we’ve known each other for most of our lives. It was bound to happen sometime.” Magdiana laughed, patting the man on the shoulder before walking past him and into the house.

Astero was left outside with Eri and Marius. Both of them looked at him, and he gulped. "So, I am guessing you want to have a chat with me?" He asked them nervously.

Eri looked at Marius. She’d said her piece earlier. He looked like he was still processing, so she simply nodded. “Magdiana told her father that you were trying to save up to buy a house.” She started, but didn’t actually ask the question that she was leading up to.

“Uh, yeah.” He said honestly. “We haven’t had a chance to really go looking, but we have a good bit saved up.”

Marius looked at Eri before he finally sighed, ready to speak. “When were you planning on telling us?” He asked him, looking a bit annoyed.

Astero sighed a bit. “I thought Magdiana was going to talk to the both of you. You are her parents, after all.” He told them honestly. “It seemed like a conversation you guys should have.”

“She did tell me, but we wanted to hear it from you.” He told him. “We only just got Magdiana back, and, now, it’s like you are taking her away.” He said with a frown.

Astero looked at Marius intently. “I never intended to take her away.” He started. “I know what it is like to not have parents around, and I wouldn’t want to make you guys go through the feeling you have already been through again.” He replied, looking at the two of them. “We never intended to go far. It would still be here in town. Mag was the one who wanted it to be close to the both of you.” 

Eri pursed her lips together. She sighed, and nodded once before stepping forward and handing Astero something in a small box. “For when you’re ready to use it.” She told him, walking inside.

He held onto the box, and looked at Marius. “Do I want to know what this Is?” He asked Marius nervously.

“It was her mother’s.” Marius explained. “She wanted you to have it.”

He looked down at the box, and, then, knew what it was. “Oh, okay. I see. Thank you.” He told him honestly.

“You’re welcome.” Marius replied, looking into Astero’s eyes. “Do try to share her with us, please.”

“I was never trying to keep her all to myself.” He replied back. “I will make sure that she comes to see you more often. I know she had a big crush on me for a long time, so that probably isn’t helping. I'm sorry.” He told him seriously.

Marius quickly pulled Astero in for a man-hug that was quickly over, and guided him inside. “Just take care of her.” He muttered quietly.

“I promise you, I will.” He responded seriously. “I want her to stay safe, and I know she will do the same for me.” He smiled at Marius carefully putting the box in his bag.

The pair walked into the dining room, and Marius moved to sit next to Eri. “Thank you for cooking, dear.” He gave her a quick kiss before taking a helping for himself and digging in with enthusiasm.

Astero looked at the food, and nodded. “Yes, it looks delicious,” he smiled getting a helping, and taking a bite, “and it tastes even better!” He beamed.

Magdiana was far too busy eating to actually use her words, and, across the table, Jacob was doing the same like it was a race. Eventually, when she finished, Magdiana looked to her mother, muttering a quick, “Thank you.”

Jacob did the same. “Thank you.” He commented, gulping down his food before continuing to eat.

Magdiana quickly started to yawn after finishing her meal. “One day, I will get used to this schedule.” She complained.

Astero nodded at her. “Yeah, this was a long day.” He added with a yawn. 

Marius looked to the two of them, and smiled. “You two are young, and in better shape than i am. You will be fine.” He chuckled, taking a bite of his food.

Eri laughed at Magdiana’s exhaustion. “So, magic lessons tomorrow?”

Magdiana instantly facepalmed. “No!” She nearly shouted. “I’m awake. Let’s do this.”

“How about just one pointer?” Eri smirked, seeing how tired her daughter was.

“Yeah, that works.” Magdiana nodded once.

“When you’re going about your day tomorrow, try to sense the different magic around town. See if you notice anything.” Eri suggested, nodding before taking another bite of food and smiling.

“Okay.” Magdiana answered, tilting her head, and thinking about it. “I’ll see what comes up.”

Astero looked to Eri and Magdiana. “I am glad that I studied magic versus this way. This seems way harder to learn.” He told them.

“Tell me about it.” Magdiana groaned. “Try living it. It’s like puberty, except… boom. Magic, and you have no idea how to use it.”

“Yeah, I don't want double puberty. Once was enough.” Astero chuckled.

“Honestly, I’m glad that it didn’t happen at the same time. Probably would’ve blown something up at this point.” She laughed, eyeing Jacob carefully.

Jacob looked between them all curiously. “What are you guys talking about?” He asked them.

Astero looked to him. “Something that you will go through when you are older. For now, just enjoy what you've got.” He told him honestly.

Marius rubbed his temples, and sighed quietly. “Dreading the day.”

Astero chuckled a bit. “Don’t worry, you guys will be fine.” He told them. “I doubt it will be worse than when Mag went through it.” He chuckled at her.

Magdiana eyed Astero, and, then, nodded. “Yeah, I was pretty bad sometimes.”

“Yeah, she almost killed me a few times, but those weren’t all exactly her fault either.” He told them.

“I’m sorry.” She said sadly, looking down into her lap.

Eri looked over suddenly very interested, but not willing to ask the question that she wanted to. She looked to Marius.

“What exactly do you mean it wasn’t her fault?” Marius asked Astero.

“Well, we went over our files yesterday, and found out that the elders were making us fight one another. Actively trying to push us apart.” Astero sighed, looking to Magdiana

“They would purposely instigate fights between us, in hindsight, and, they would have us train, using new abilities on the other.” Magdiana frowned.

Eri gasped, covering her mouth and looking to Jacob who, thankfully was smart enough to know when to leave the room without being asked at the moment. He picked up his plate, and walked to his room. Marius smiled at his son. “Kid’s too smart for his own good.”

“Yeah, he is. I will make sure I make him something good someday soon.” Astero chuckled a bit before looking to Eri. “Yeah. Yutan was not great for the both of us.” He told her.

“It kind of got weird in the end, too.” Magdiana added. “Do you remember the insurgence of ships, but no actual recognizable cargo?”

“Yeah, there were tons of cargo, but no one knew what is was for. Not even the harbormaster.” Astero replied.

Magdiana made a face. “Never did understand what that was, and the town just seemed like it was forced to be happy around that same time.”

“Yeah, you don’t think it was connected, do you?” He asked almost knowing the answer.

“Just make me a tinfoil hat already.” Magdiana responded in lieu of a straight answer.

Astero sighed. “I am glad to be out of there.” He said leaning back. “Less crap to worry about.”

She nodded. “Now, it’s almost semi-normal.”

“Semi-normal?” Eri said. “Dare I ask?”

Astero looked to her and shook his head a bit. “It’s highly complicated.” he told her honestly.

Magdiana nodded. “It’s well in hand for the time being.”

“Yeah, we have it mostly under control. It will just take a bit of time for us to wrap our head fully around it is all.” Astero told them.

Eri nodded. “Okay, but please come to us if you need help. Don’t just decide to hide out in The Rook or something.”

“We will.” Astero told them. “The Rook is nice, but it can be stifling there.”

Magdiana yawned. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to sleep. I’ve got another marathon day tomorrow. Open to close.”

Marius frowned. “Charles works you too hard.”

“Charles’s other helper quit over the weekend.” Magdiana deadpanned. “It’s temporary.”

Astero sighed a bit. “I am glad that she is gone, she was rude.” He told her. “Not glad you have to deal with it though.” 

“Yeah, apparently, there was a big fuss.” Magdiana explained. “Charlie was kind of vague. I didn’t push. There are ads out, so, with any luck, I’ll still have the weekend off, but I won’t know until he actually has them start.”

Marius looked at the two of them. “With any luck, you will. Now, go get some sleep. You two look exhausted.” He smiled.

Astero smiled, and walked over to Mag. “Yeah, come on. Let’s get you to sleep.” He told her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and jumped into his arms. “Thank you. Too tired.”

He looked to her parents, and, then, to Magdiana. “Okay, come on.” He smiled at her before turning back to her parents. “Night.” He told them.

“Night.” Marius smiled at them.

“Night.” Magdiana yawned, leaning into Astero’s chest.

“Night!” Eri called out, looking to Marius a little helplessly as the young couple walked away.

Marius looked to his wife. “It’s okay. They will be fine. You will be fine.” He soothed rubbing her hand.

“We missed everything besides this.” She told him quietly. “We missed her first steps, talking, first days of school, puberty. I’m glad that we get to see her fall in love, but…”

“I know. We missed so much.” He sighed. “But, now, we get to be there for everything else. Love, marriage, maybe even kids one day.” He smiled at her. “We are still going to be there, Eri.”

“I am not old enough to be a grandmother.” Eri fanned herself.

“They are too young to have them. I am hoping they wait a while.” He told her honestly.

Eri looked a little murderous. “Can I smite him if they don’t wait?”

“I’ll smite him if they don’t wait.” He told her with a small smile. “You can have what's left.”

“You’re no fun.” Eri waved at him, standing up. “I’ll go rescue Jacob from his room so he can have dessert.”

“Thank you.” He smiled at her. “And, you know I am a blast.” He smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “You are incorrigible is what you are.”

“And, you love it.” He smiled.

“Unfortunately.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

Astero walked Magdiana in to her room, and set her down on the bed. He leaned down, and gave her a smile kiss. “You close your eyes, and get some sleep. I will make sure you get comfy.” He whispered to her, carefully removing her clothes as he did so.

She yawned, making quiet noises with each touch, but not acting on the impulses. She was just too tired. “Thanks.” She mumbled. “Love you.”

“I love you, too.” He smiled at her, removing the last piece of clothing, leaving her in just her undies. He got undressed himself, and crawled into bed next to her. “Sleep well.” He yawned, pulling her close to him.

“Night.” She yawned, almost instantly beginning to snore in his arms.

In the pre-dawn hours the next morning, Magdiana awoke. Her eyes opening and finding herself in Astero’s arms. She smiled, climbing out of the bed to use the bathroom before returning. When she got back into the bed, she realized that Astero’s eyes were open. “Sorry I woke you.” She told him.

“You're fine.” He yawned slightly. “I was waking up when you came out of the bathroom.” He told her honestly.

“I guess that we should get dressed, then.” She sighed, sitting cross legged next to him.

“Yeah.” He sighed, sitting up, and stealing a small kiss from her. “You have a long day ahead of you, and so do I.” His shoulders slumped a bit.

She nodded. “At least, I won’t have to fucking sprint to work today to make it on time.”

He smiled. "Yeah, that sucked.” He told her.

She started to attach all of her weapons to her person. “What’s the plan for tonight? I can just tell mom in person.”

Astero shrugged. “I don’t know. Then again, I am just playing it by ear until the weekend.” He told her, getting out of the bed, and changing into his clothes.

“I want you to nibble on my ears.” She muttered more to herself than anything.

“Wait, what?” He asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Huh?” She responded in as innocent a fashion as she could muster.

He sighed, and walked up to her. He leaned down, and whispered into her ear. “Something about nibbling your ears.” His voice husky.

She shivered in his arms, balling up her fists, and closing her eyes. “Self control. I can wait.” She murmured.

He smirked at her reaction, and stepped away. “Just until the weekend.” He smiled at her. “Then, you can go wild.”

“We really need that house.” She whined.

“We will soon enough, but, now, I need to know what is the plan for tonight?” He asked her seriously.

She sighed. “I will have dinner with you and come home, I guess. I don’t want to push our luck with the spending nights together.”

“Okay.” He nodded with a sigh. “That makes sense.”

“I will be with you for the weekend, though.” She pulled him close, giving him a soft kiss.

“I certainly hope so.” He told her, kissing her back. “I have plans with you in mind.”

She rubbed his back with her hands. “I want you to whisper those plans into my ear while you nibble them.”

He leaned down, and gave a small nibble before whispering in her ear. “Vibrating massage.” He teased, pulling away from her.

“Mmm, gods. I love you.” She hummed. “And, I hate my body. This sucks.”

“Just a little longer.” He told her. “I love you, too, which is why I am going to tease you all week when I can.” He smirked, walking to the door.

“You are evil.” She whined from behind him as she grabbed her bag.

“I know.” He smiled back, waiting for her to walk with him.

She grabbed his hand, and squeezed it a little harder than she meant to. “Sorry.” She mumbled as they moved around the corner, and saw Marius and Eri at the table. “Hey, I’m going to eat dinner with Astero tonight. Then, I’ll be home.”

Eri nodded, and waved, looking like the cup of coffee she was nursing was a lifeline to a boat in the middle of the ocean.

“Okay, just don’t be back too late. Okay?” Marius asked her, looking to Astero.

“I will make sure she is home before it gets dark.” Astero told him.

“I wanted to work with Mom on the magicky stuff later anyway.” Magdiana replied. “Have a good day.”

* * *

Out on the sea going farther from his wife, Wake got up out of his chair, and began to go about his morning ritual. He was glad he didn’t have to sleep. There was so much more time in the day for reading, working, and other things. He looked out of the window of his cabin, and saw the sun beginning to rise. He closed his book, and set it down on his desk next to the other ones he was reading. He quickly took off his clothes before he walked over to his dresser, and opened his boxer drawer. A second later, Wake was unable to see, and, a moment after that, he felt a swift whack to his nether region. 

He laid on the floor for several minutes before he wiped the powder from his eyes, and looked to his dresser with concern. He stood up, and slowly opened one of the drawers, causing another one to open in sync with it. “You have got to be kidding me.” He said to himself, He opened up another drawer and the same thing happened again. He was starting to get mad. 

Wake spent the next few minutes arduously undoing what was done to his dresser before he was able to finally get dressed. He marched out of his cabin, and yelled out to the crew. “Okay! Who was the one who went into my cabin, and fucked with my dresser?” He demanded. 

The crew all looked at each other confused, and shook their heads. The first mate walked up to the captain. “Sir, no one has been near your cabin since we left port. Everyone knows not to go in there unless you ask them to.” He told Wake. 

“Then, why did I just get hit in the dick not ten minutes ago?” Wake asked him seriously.

“What?” The man replied. “How did that happen?”

“Someone. Fucked. With. My. Dresser.” He said slowly. “Not that hard to figure out.” 

The first mate looked at the captain, and, then, back to the crew. “It wasn’t any of us sir. It must have been done before we left. Everyone was already accounted for before we left.” He explained.

Wake looked at his first mate, and, then, to his cabin. “Who the hell would do that?” He asked out loud, not having a clue.

* * *

Magdiana slowly left her work building, looking up to the sky. It was still relatively bright out, which was nice. Summer was growing nearer, and the heat was getting to the point of being unbearable for her, and probably Astero as well. Astero was waiting for her outside of the door, and she took his hand, squeezing it lightly. “Hey.” She smiled at him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He smiled back as they started to make their way towards The Rook. On their way, they chatted a bit about their days, but the real excitement began when they arrived to a street they normally crossed. It was abuzz with military presence due to some sort of cart crash. The pair looked at each other, and silently agreed to a detour down a somewhat familiar road. A short while down the street, they saw the building that they had recently done their adventuring job inside.

Magdiana looked at it with distaste before doing a double take. “Hey, As?” She asked him quietly, eyeing the building a little suspiciously. 

“Yeah?” He asked her, looking at what she was starting at.

“Is that a for sale sign?” She asked, morbid curiosity filling her.

“I think it is.” He trailed off, getting closer to see the sign. “You have got to be shitting me.” He said, seeing that the price of the house, was well within their price range for a house.

She sighed audibly. “I wonder if it’s cleaned up or if he just left it, well, a mess.”

“I am not sure, but, if the turnaround was this fast to get it to be sold, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was completely cleaned out.” He replied in disbelief.

“Should we look?” She asked him.

He sighed a bit. “Yeah, I want to know just fast my brother can pull something like this off.” He told her.

She started walking over to the building, and pulled out her tools, quickly unlocking the door. “The lock got changed. Much easier pick.” She commented.

“Figures.” He sighed, keeping a lookout for her. “And, I bet the interior will be different too.

She opened the door, and found that no furniture was inside. The carpeting and even a bit of the architecture had been changed. “He’s good.” She commented. “I wonder if the secret door still works.”

Astero looked around the area, and nodded. “Yeah, he is good.” He commented, walking to the chimney before speaking the word to open it. A second later, the door opened. “Well, that's a nice bonus.” He told her.

She walked up the stairs, and found that the master bedroom was completely redone. “Okay, I have to see the hidden rooms now.”

Astero walked into the chimney and down the hall which had also been redone. The doors that got destroyed were reset and even the blood spatter had been removed. Astero stopped and leaned against the wall for a moment. “What the fuck is my brother.” He mentioned out loud, pondering the endeavor it would take to do this in such a short time.

She opened each of the doors, and they all unlocked easily. Behind the last one, she found a desk with a note. “Son of a bitch thought of everything.”

Astero looked at her. “You have got to be joking. This is a joke right?” He asked her seriously.

She reached down, and grabbed the letter, handing it to him. “He obviously knew we could come back here, and would get down here.”

He looked down at the note. He didn’t want to read it, but, gods damn it all, he was curious. He opened the letter so that she could read as well.

_Dear Magdiana,_

_I’ve written two notes to my brother now, and you have burned both of them. That’s quite rude, you know, but I digress. Always better safe than sorry when it comes to detection spells, I suppose. _

_I am afraid that business takes me away from Astero again, but I can see that he is in good hands with you. Take care of him._

_Your Brother,  
Rivin._

Magdiana sighed. “What is it with our families thinking we’re getting married so soon?”

Astero sighed. “I don’t know, but this is getting silly.” He responded, looking around. “I can’t tell if this house was a gift, or a really weird way of saying I'm sorry. I'm confused.” He made a face.

“Is it, like, betraying Wake and the rest if we take it since we know who it’s from?” She asked him seriously.

He looked at her, and, then, to the house. He sighed. “I mean, yes, but, at the same time, the place is nearly perfect.” He told her.

“Nearly perfect?” She asked. “It has the big kitchen you wanted. The parts of the yard that I’ve seen are enormous. What am I missing?”

He looked around him, and, then, to her. “What would we do with the secret underground extension?” He asked her seriously. “Besides hiding bodies.” He said sarcastically.

“Well, this room is a good sized area for an alchemists and poisoners workstation.” She told him simply, grabbing his hand, and pulling him over to the other room that shared a wall with this one. “And, they literally left the weapon racks on these walls. I mean, ahem, sex dungeon.” She joked.

He laughed at her. “We don’t need a sex dungeon.” He told her. “Pretty sure you could get out of anything that I throw at you anyway.” He chuckled.

“Probably.” She responded easily. “And, also, the secret area is a good place to hide valuables from potential roguish intruders.”

He nodded, and looked to her. “The only downside to that is that Rivin knows this place, too. There is nothing stopping him from coming by for a visit, or leaving another note in the gods only know where.” He explained to her.

She nodded. “I’m not saying that I disagree. You are right, but there is nothing stopping him at The Rook either. Surprisingly enough, I think he wants us on his side.” She gestured to the room. “He’s trying to earn our favor, so why not play both sides until he feels comfortable enough to reveal his hand a bit more?”

“You want to double cross the double crosser. I love you.” He sighed, leaning in, and kissing her. “Yes, let’s do it.” He smiled.

“How does a couple of twenty somethings go about buying a house around here, anyway?” She asked.

“I have no fucking clue.” He chuckled. “But, I have a feeling we might be able to get it even if we wait a bit.” He told her.

She nodded. “I have a feeling that you’re right.” This made her laugh. “Let’s go to The Rook, and eat dinner.”

“Let’s. I'm hungry.” He smiled, grabbing her hand.

She grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. “I love you.”

“I love you.” He said squeezing her hand back.


	10. Middlegame

The week was a long and tiring one for both Astero and Magdiana. Each of them worked diligently at their respective jobs, so much so that they had little time to actually see one another. They did manage to steal a few seconds between lunch breaks where Mag would run and get some food from Astero, or Astero would bring some to Magdiana if she was working late. Other than those few stolen moments, they had only seen each other for two hours at most all week.

Astero’s week consisted of a lot of special orders, ranging from chocolate cakes all the way to slow roasted pulled pork. He didn’t complain about all the cooking. It was nice for a change of pace every day. His biggest complaint was the little time he had spent with Magdiana, and the lack of sleep he was getting without her. It was noticeable towards the end of the week when Astero accidentally fell asleep while there was a slow time of the day.

Gordan woke him lightly, and could see the circles under his eyes. “Sweet mother Hestia, you are tired.” He commented with shock.

Astero grumbled a bit, and waved him off. “I will be fine. The nap helped. Really, I just need to get a decent night’s sleep is all.” He sighed, knowing that it might not be soon.

Gordan shook his head at Astero. He looked at the clock for a moment before looking back to the boy. “Will you be able to make it through the rest of the day?” He asked him seriously.

He nodded at him. “Yeah, like I said, the nap helped.” He told him honestly, letting out a small yawn.

“Okay. Good.” Gordan smiled. “If you can make it through the rest of the day, I will give you tomorrow off. You clearly need it.” He offered the younger man.

Astero raised an eyebrow at thim. “But, what about the orders tomorrow?” He asked Gordan, thinking them through in his head.

“I will be fine.” He smiled at Astero. “There isn’t much to it. Just a lot of it, is all.” Gordan chuckled. “Besides, I have been doing this for a while. I will manage.”

Astero smiled. “Thanks,” he told him, “but you really should hire some other people. Otherwise, you will work yourself to death.” He half-joked.

“That’s what I intend to do.” Gordan smiled back. “And, I really don’t want to train a new person. Too much work.” He chuckled.

“Figures you would say something like that.” Astero chuckled in return. “Okay, I will go get the rest of the stuff done, and try to leave a little early, if that’s alright with you?” He asked.

“So long as the work is done, it’s fine by me.” Gordan smiled, going to the back to do some paperwork.

Astero went back into the kitchen, and began to get the things he needed done, done. He wanted to go get a long weekend, and to see Magdiana.

Magdiana spent every day that week working out with her brother and working on cleric stuff with her mother. She felt that she was getting back into shape, but exhaustion was taking over. She was hardly sleeping at night, and found herself doing late night laps around the house out of boredom most nights in hopes of passing out. At work, it was hectic. She was taking over more duties while Charles tried to find someone that could help him around the shop when she wasn't around.

Her cleric training was… interesting. Her mother kept getting her to try to "feel out" the spells she had available to her, but she was struggling on multiple accounts. Focus being the main problem, given her exhaustion, but the second was actually spell slots. As it turns out, one had to sleep as a cleric to regain them, and she wasn't sleeping properly.

Needless to say, she was starting to get nasty between lack of sleep, frustration with training, her period, and severe Astero withdrawal. On seventh day, she practically sleepwalked to work, saying little to Charlie, and, at lunch time, looking him in the eyes with a desperate sort of stare. "Please, tell me you've hired somebody." She asked quietly.

Charlie looked back at her, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mag. Hopefully, next week."

Magdiana nodded, fighting tears. "Okay. I'm going to lunch." She told him, leaving the building, and heading towards the shop Astero worked at.

Astero was finishing up a few tasks when he saw Magdiana walk in the door. “Hey!” He said with a large smile, and going over to give her a hug.

She buried her face into his shirt. "Hey." She mumbled into his chest.

He gave her a small kiss on the head, and looked at her. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.” He said looking her over.

"I still have to work this weekend." She sighed. "I'm so tired."

He frowned. He could tell she was exhausted. “Do you think you could at least spend a few days with me?” He asked her seriously. “At least, get some decent sleep?”

She nodded. "Yeah, that was the point of being at my place during the week, so that I can be with you for the weekend."

“Okay. Good.” He replied, hugging her tightly for a moment. “How busy are you going to be tomorrow?” He asked her with an idea in his head.

"Just work. Can't do cleric training. I haven't been able to cast for days." She explained.

He hummed it over in his head. “Okay, then, tomorrow I am going to bring you lunch.” He told her. “And, then, when you get off, I am making you dinner.”

"Am I missing something?" She asked curiously. "Don't you have work?"

“Well, I did,” he started, “but Gordan gave me tomorrow off. So, I am free all day, which I am now making all for you.” He explained to her.

"I love you." She sniffed, suddenly overcome with emotion.

“I love you.” He smiled back at her, hugging her for a moment. “Now, what do you want to eat? I do need to get back to work soon.” He frowned a bit.

She nodded. "What's the special?"

“Meatball sandwiches.” He told her.

"Two of those." She responded.

He gave her a small kiss. “Coming right up.” He smiled, going into the kitchen, and coming out a few minutes later with two sandwiches for her. “Here you go.”

"Thank you." She mumbled, starting to eat quickly with the remainder of her lunch time. When she was finished, she called into the back. "Compliments to the chef!"

“Thank you!” Astero called back. “See you later!”

"Later!" She said a bit quieter as she made her way back towards work. She was walking slowly, nearly staggering her way there, actually. She was so focused on making her way back to work that she didn't notice the man following her and how familiar he looked.

"Hey." He said, making her jump.

She eyed him, remembering him from the bag of coin and the strange adamantine one that came with it. "Hey." She responded back.

"My employer has an offer." He told her in typical vague fashion.

She pulled out a pair of gloves, and put them on. "Let me see it." She offered her hand.

He placed a sealed envelope with a wax seal on it very similar to the symbols on the coin impressed in the material. She opened it, and read the contents before burning it on the spot. "I need time to think it over." She responded quickly, walking back to the shop quicker than before.

At the end of the day, Magdiana eagerly informed Astero of the details once they were in a safe place to do so. "It's probably not the most honest work, but I'd be paid well, and I wouldn't actually be doing anything besides making poisons, which I'm doing anyway. What do you think?"

Astero thought it over for several long moments. It was a bit much to take in. “You would just be making poisons not going around silencing people?” He asked her while starting intently at her reactions.

"The offer said exclusively poisons." She responded. "I could do it from home except for the exchange of them."

“Do you trust them?” He asked, looking directly into her eyes. “I trust you, but I want to know that you trust them.”

"They're rogues. Of course, I don't trust them, but I'm also a rogue. I'm not stupid. If I show no interest in anything besides making poisons, they're not going to fuck with the best source in town." She responded.

He sighed. “Then, go for it,” he told her, “but, if they do anything, let me know.”

She nodded. "This leads me to the most important part. I can't manufacture poisons at my parent's house."

“So, we will need to buy the house sooner rather than later.” He sighed.

"Yeah." She sighed in return.

He thought it over in his head for a moment. “How much do we have? I have just over 400.” he explained.

"Alright. So, we have the 500 from the adventure, and I have the 150 tip from these guys plus another 300 of my own wages." She counted.

“Alright, so we have more than enough for the down payment. It’s just buying it. I have tomorrow off, so I could go look into it. I might miss getting you lunch, though.” He told her.

"I can survive a day without lunch, but I'm not going to make it another week of these shifts." She responded honestly.

“Then, let me have the money, and I will go buy the house.” He offered with a small sigh. “Your parents are going to kill me. You know that right?”

She nodded tiredly. "I'm sorry. I'll talk to them."

“Okay. Good, but let them know you are staying the night here.” He told her, seeing her nearly passing out. “You are not making it home tonight.”

Magdiana first unloaded her pack of the considerable coin she'd been hauling around before activating her sending stone. She yawned. "Hey, Mom?" She asked into it

"Yes, Mag?" Eri responded quickly.

"I can't keep my eyes open. I'm going to stay here tonight, but I'll be over tomorrow. I need to talk with you and Dad." She explained as quickly as possible.

"Please get some rest." Eri answered without hesitation, disconnecting the call.

Magdiana laid down on the bed. "This was a mistake."

“Laying down?” He asked, looking at her.

"I needed a shower." She explained, rolling over, and closing her eyes.

He chuckled. “Get one in the morning.” He replied, sitting down on the bed.

She reached down, and started to slowly remove her boots. When she'd loosened the first one, she kicked it off the bed. "This might take awhile."

He shook his head a bit. “You just close your eyes, and I will take your clothes off for you.” He smiled, removing her other boot for her.

"You have to do this far too often." She murmured, removing one of her hip daggers with fumbling fingers.

He grabbed her hand, and placed it next to her head. “I don’t mind stripping a woman of her clothes.” He whispered to her. “Now, you just focus on sleep.” He said removing her daggers, and setting them to the side before removing her holsters.

"Mmm. Shark week ended today." She murmured.

Astero smiled at that. “That's good, but it doesn’t help us right now.” He told her while carefully removing her pants and tossing them to the side.

"'S'Okay. Kinda can't reciprocate right now." Her eyes closed and no longer opened. "I love you."

“I love you.” He replied, leaning in to kiss her softly. He gently took off her shirt and bra, and pulled the covers over her. He stripped down, and laid next to her. “Sleep well.” He whispered with a light kiss.

She kissed him back, but barely. "Night."

“Night.” He replied, pulling her close, and quickly falling asleep next to her.

He awoke several hours later feeling well rested, and much better about not having to go into work. He simply held Magdiana close until she stirred. “Morning.” He whispered to her.

"Mmm. Mornin'." She sighed, stretching a bit.

“Sleep well?” He asked, stretching as well, and bumping her slightly. “Sorry.”

She rolled into his chest. "Oh, As. I actually slept."

“I am glad you did. It looked like you needed it.” He replied, stroking her hair.

She wiggled her fingers, and they glowed with magical light. "Oh, good. It's back."

“Nice. Now, you can get pointers from your Mom again.” He smiled at her.

"Yeah, now, I can actually try to 'bless Astero while you're sparring'. Whatever that means." She laughed.

“But I didn't sneeze.” He joked, chuckling a bit.

"She says that it will make it easier to hit things. Not that you have much problem with that." She shrugged.

“Yeah, that is true. Also, why would you bless me if we are sparring? That would mean it would be easier for me to hit you.” He asked her while sounding a bit confused.

"As, who else do you fight?" She asked seriously. "She'd rather you hit me like you usually do than Jacob or Dad."

He frowned a bit. “But, I don’t like hitting you,” He told her honestly.

"Alright, alright." She waved her hands. "I'll save it for Wake."

“That, I like,” he smiled, sitting up, “and you need a shower.” He reminded her.

She sat up fast. "Shit. Do I have time?"

He looked at the clock. “Yeah, you do. It's not nearly as far to your work from here as your parents house.”

"The house is even closer." She responded, climbing out of bed, and padding over to the bathroom. "Do you need a shower?"

“No, but I want one.” He smirked, getting out of bed, and following her.

She stepped out of her underwear, and flung them towards his face. "Oops."

He caught them with his teeth, and looked at her. “Well, I guess you aren’t getting these back, then.” He smiled, stepping closer to her.

She went over to the tub, and got it to a friendly temperature for the both of them, hopping in quickly. "I have already missed this."

He stepped in, and relaxed when the water hit him. “Yeah, that’s nice.” He sighed in content.

She placed her hands on his chest, rubbing them up and down. "Yeah, it is."

He looked down at her, and smiled, running his hands down her back; then, up to her chest. ”And, I have missed this.” He told her, kissing her softly.

She sighed into his lips. "I wish we had time for that part." She said, pulling away, and washing her hair quickly.

“Don’t remind me.” He sighed, scrubbing himself slowly. He wasn’t in a rush today. “Soon, though.” He smiled.

"Maybe tonight." She offered. "Depends on how wordy the conversation with the parents gets."

“I am hoping.” He replied, scrubbing her back for her. “And, if all goes well, we will have a house.” He smiled.

She smirked. "If we're there," she stopped speaking, wanting to look at him properly, and turning around. "I can scream your name."

“I will make you.” He smirked, looking into her eyes, and his hand running between her legs. “And, you will love it.” His voice husky as he rubbed her lightly before removing his hand.

"You are evil." She sighed. "And, I have to get out soon."

“I said I was going to tease you.” He smirked, getting out of the shower.

"I am going to burst by the end of the day. This week has sucked." She whined, hopping out of the shower, grabbing a towel, and dashing into the bedroom. "It's freezing in here!" She complained.

“It’s nice here.” He commented, hiding her panties from her, and getting dressed. “Still not nearly as cold as Yutan.”

"Sorry. The vents were blowing directly on me." She replied, pulling on her pants without the underwear. "And, I wasn't planning on comparing it to Yutan. That blizzard won the award for coldest night of my life."

“And the first night we shared a bed.” He added.

She moved over to kiss him. "Thank you for warming me up."

“Anytime.” He smiled, kissing her back. “Now, go get to work.” He said slapping her butt playfully. “And make sure your parents don’t kill us.”

"I'll see you for dinner." She smiled a wide smile before turning back to him. "How much is a bed?"

“No clue. Best guess is a few dozen gold.” he told her.

She nodded, pulling out a pouch, and handing it to him. "My spending cash."

“I will spend it wisely.” He told her. “I already have the rest. I will meet you near your parents house. Deal?”

She nodded, kissed him one more time, and dashed out the door. "Hi, Raze!" She called to the innkeeper on her way to work, not waiting for a response.

Astero walked down the stairs, and was met with Raze face to face. She looked him dead in the eye. “What do you do to my husband?” She asked him seriously.

He smirked, and looked back at Raze. “Pranked him. Why?” He asked simply.

Raze smiled wide at Astero and gave him a hug. “That was brilliant!” She said with delight. “He was mad for three days before he figured out it was you two.” She chuckled.

“Three days?” He asked her. “It took him that long? I thought Wake was smarter than that.”

“He is about as smart as a dog, dear. That is why I keep him around for short periods.” She laughed.

Astero smiled, and saved that for later. “Good to know, and, if you ever want us to do anything special, don’t hesitate to ask.” He told her as he walked to the door.

“Thank you, dear! Will do!” She replied happily.

Astero waved goodbye to Raze, and made his way into town. He needed to find the realtor who was selling the house. He just didn’t know where to start. He started by asking around the docks for directions; some men gave him helpful bits while others told him complete nonsense. After a strenuous hour of searching, he eventually found the place in question. Astero eagerly entered the building, and was greeted by an older woman. “Hello, sir, how can I help you today?” she asked him curiously.

“Hello. I’m here to ask about the purchase of a house.” He told her honestly.

She looked at him oddly, but led him to a desk. “Well, I can certainly try to help you.” She smiled. “Is there a particular house you’re interested in?” She asked him.

Astero nodded. “Yes, ma’am. There is a house in the upper district.” He told her honestly, describing the location.

The woman smiled at him. “That might be a little out of your price range, sir.” She scoffed, looking him over again with a smug disposition.

Astero shook his head. “No. There was one house that I thought was perfect.” He smiled a bit giving her the address, now.

The woman raised an eyebrow, and went to go check her files. A few moments passed, and a different person came back sitting at the desk with a smile. It was a younger woman, but she was dressed much more nicely. “Alright, sir. You were interested in this house here, correct?” She asked, pointing to the address, and verifying it was the right one.

“Uh, yes, miss.” Astero replied with some nerves and confusion at the sudden change, but kept going. “It looked good, and it is in a great spot.”

“Yes, it is!” She smiled. “Well, it’s still available, which is shocking given the price and the area it’s in.” She smirked a bit. “It’s a steal.”

“It definitely sounds that way.” He smirked back.

“Alright, then. I will just need you to sign some papers, give us some coin, and the house will be yours!” She smiled enthusiastically, standing up to gather the paperwork.

“Sweet.” He smiled. “Any idea where the nearest place I can get furniture is?” He asked her.

She turned back, and laughed a bit. “Oh, don’t worry about that. The house is pre-furnished.” She explained, waving him off, and going to get the papers.

Astero slumped back in his chair. The house was empty earlier in the week. How the fuck did it get furnished? He shook his head, and pushed it to the side. He would worry about it later. The new lady came back shortly thereafter, and handed him the papers. He quickly signed them, and gave her the coin in question, which was just under 1,200 gold. The lady smiled, and took the paperwork. She returned a moment later, handing Astero two keys.

“Here you go, sir!” She smiled. “Enjoy your new house.” She shook his hand.

“Thank you.” He smiled back.

“Do have a wonderful day, Mr. Vosson!” She enthused.

“Thanks.” Astero replied, taking the keys, and leaving as quickly as possible. He went to the house quickly, and unlocked the door. When he opened it up, sure enough, the house was fully furnished. Simply furnished, but furnished nonetheless. He sighed, and went to go grocery shopping with the money he had. He needed to cook dinner for Mag tonight, and he was going to make sure it was in the house.

When Magdiana went in to work that day, she had a spring to her step that came from having actually slept the previous night. She met Charlie around the same time he arrived, and they started their day. Luckily, it was slow, and she had a moment to actually speak to him. "Uh, Charlie. I got a job offer." She deadpanned.

The man rubbed his temples, and sighed. "You're not going to be at a competing shop, are you?" He asked almost fearfully.

"I won't be competing, no." She responded honestly. "I need to tell them when I can start."

Charlie sighed. "Don't let me stop you from having a better job. Tell them you can start whenever you're ready."

Magdiana nodded. "Thanks, Charlie."

At lunchtime, Magdiana left the shop to find the man she'd met twice before, and noticed him milling about a nearby corner- clearly waiting for her. She pulled out a smoke, and took a drag, leaning on the wall next to him. "I can shop on second day. Have your grocery list to me by the end of the day. Let's do lunch near the docks on third day."

The man nodded once before looking up at her. "I'll see you on third day."

By the end of the day, Magdiana had her 'grocery list' of poisons for manufacture, and Charlie's final payment to her in hand. She made her way to her parent's place, and heavily sat down at the kitchen table. "Hey, Mom." She sighed. "Is Dad here too?"

Eri nodded, and called out to her husband. “Marius! You’re needed.” She shouted, looking to Magdiana curiously. “Is everything all right?”

Magdiana looked sadly at her mother. "Please don't be mad at me."

“Mad? Why?” She asked curiously and nervously.

Magdiana tapped her toes on the floor until her father stumbled into the room. Then, she started to rapid fire tell her story. "I got a job offer that gives me a schedule that I can set, and, possibly, more money. But, I needed a place to do it, so Astero and I followed through with buying the house."

Eri’s mouth hung open just processing what she said. She waited a moment before she actually spoke. “So, you mean you are moving out. Aren’t you?” She responded, frowning a bit.

"I mean, yes, but I haven't been able to sleep here without Astero. And, this way, Dad can stop freaking out and thinking that we're, like, doing anything under his roof. And, I'll have the free time to actually pick Jacob up from school and train with you and him and not fall asleep immediately after work." She unloaded her worries on them still speaking at a nervous rapidfire pace.

Eri had tears in her eyes, but held Magdiana’s hand. “You will visit us? Right?” She asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I mean, maybe not every day, but I want to help with Jacob's training. And, I know Astero wants to as well. We're not just going to disappear."

Eri moved, and hugged her daughter. “You two better visit.” She smiled slightly. “Otherwise, I will break your door down, and drag you two to dinner with us.” He warned seriously.

"Can Astero and I make you dinner tomorrow, maybe? I'd love for you to see the place." She smiled.

“That would be wonderful. Of course, we will be there!” She smiled at her daughter. “It would be nice to not have to cook for once.” She added.

She smiled before jumping in to hug both of them. "I love you." She told each of them.

“We love you, dear.” Eri sighed, holding her tightly before begrudgingly letting go. “Now, go tell Astero to have a proper meal ready for us tomorrow. I expect good things!” She smiled widely.

"Love you, guys." Magdiana smiled, hugging her mother back, and moving to hug her father as well. "I'll see you tomorrow for dinner." She told them before heading out of the house towards her new one. She started by walking, but, by the time she made it to the docks, she was jogging. By the end, she realized she'd all out sprinted most of the way there. She was panting when she knocked on the door to the house, realizing only then that she didn't have a proper key, yet.

Astero went to the door, and opened it. "Well, you're home early." He chuckled as he pulled her in for a big hug. "I was just about to go and meet you."

She hugged him back. "The conversation went quicker than I thought, and, then, I was super excited and basically ran here."

"I can tell." He chuckled, seeing her looking a little ragged. "Well, come on in. Take a look at our house!" He enthused practically dragging her in the door and shutting it behind them.

She looked around. "Holy cow! How much furniture did my gold buy? And, how'd it get here so quickly?"

"About that." He paused, handing her gold back to her. "None of it. The house came furnished." He sighed a bit as he said that.

"Fucking A, Rivin." She muttered.

Astero nodded. "Yeah, and I am convinced that the lady who sold it to me was helping him." He looked at Magdiana, and smiled a bit. "At least, we have a house now."

"Yeah." She nodded, looking absolutely flabbergasted. "Please, tell me dinner is soon. I need to eat and process."

"It’s in the oven as we speak." He smiled at her. "Go sit down, and relax. I’ll bring it to you when it's done."

She sat down at the table in a sort of daze. "Holy shit. We own all of this."

He sat down beside her for a moment. "Yeah, I’m still wrapping my head around it, too. It was weird cooking in the kitchen." He laughed.

"We could've never bought something like this within a month in Yutan." She sighed.

"It would have been easier to kill a family and take their house." He chuckled, standing up to go get their dinner finished.

"Well, you're not wrong, but we wouldn't have done that." She laughed, watching him cook with a small smile.

"Oh, no. It would be a dark day before that happens." He told her.

"How's the kitchen feel? Good size?" She asked. "By the way, is there any money left? I need to probably buy some supplies for work."

"Oh, yeah. It's great. Might be bigger than the one at work." He smiled back at her. "And, yes, there is plenty left. I’ll give the rest to you after dinner."

She smiled. "Thank you. Also, you’ll need to teach me the infernal words for open and close. My office is going to be in the basement."

"No worries. They’re not that difficult to learn." He smiled at her. He walked over a few moments later with dinner, and set it in front of her. "Enjoy." He said, giving her a small kiss.

She kissed him back. "I love you, and thank you."

"I love you, and you're welcome." He smiled, sitting down, and digging in.

She started to eat slowly- just processing everything that had happened that day, and finding herself leaning into Astero as she ate. Almost cuddling him at the table. "This is nice."

He leaned into her, and smiled. “It is.” He sighed contently. He glanced around the house, looking at everything that was now theirs. He took another bite of his food, and looked back at Mag. “This is going to take some time to get used to.” He chuckled. “I’m totally going to walk to The Rook by accident one day.”

"You're telling me. I was sleeping at two different places." She laughed.

“And, now, we’ll need to go and get all of our things to bring here.” He laughed in return. “I still have all my clothes at The Rook.”

"I left a good bit at home, too. Also, can you make dinner for my family tomorrow?" She asked, realizing she'd almost forgotten, and blushing profusely. "I want them to come see the new house."

He leaned in, and gave her a small kiss. “Of course, I can.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “You can get worked up over the littlest things. You know that right?” He chuckled.

She nodded. “I know. There is just a lot going on at once between my parents, and the house being furnished, and having an actual house.” She explained in a rapid fire manner.

“It’s fine.” He assured her. “I don’t mind making dinner for your family. Hells, I will make sure they love it!” He laughed. “Now, just calm down, and eat your food. You must be starving.”

She smiled, and looked at Astero. She gave him a small kiss before taking another bite of her food. “Thank you, and I am.”

“You’re welcome.” He replied.

The two ate in companionable silence, and relaxed at the table when the food was finished. Astero took the plates to the kitchen, and quickly washed them before returning. He took her hand, and brought her to sit next to him on the couch. He leaned against her, and held her hand in his. “This is our house now.” He whispered in awe while looking around.

She pulled his hand up, and kissed it softly. “So much more room.” She smiled, stretching as she did so.

“And more time together.” He replied, reclining back on the couch. “You will be home most of the day, and I will be home in the evening.” He sighed contently.

Magdiana leaned down, and cuddled into him. “I’m glad we get to spend more time together. I missed you all week.”

“Same.” He replied, pulling her close. “I missed this.”

She laid down on the couch, and rested her head in his lap. "I approve of the couch. There's enough room to stretch."

“I'm pretty sure there might be another one in the hidey hole.” He told her. “Haven’t checked there yet.”

"I'm morbidly curious." She frowned.

“Well, at least, it would give me the chance to teach you the words to open the door, then.” He commented, but didn't move.

"First, teach me how to even summon the phlegm necessary to say those words." She laughed.

“Well, remember when I blew into your nose? Something like that.” He laughed back

"So, hack a loogie is what I'm hearing." She made a face.

“It helps when learning, but yeah.” He chuckled a bit. “Eventually, you won't have to.”

She laughed. "I will try. Now, how do I say it?"

Astero told her a word in infernal. “That is open.”

She tried the word. "Like that? Or did I just call your mother a bad name?"

“Close.” He smiled. “You need to make the end go for a bit longer.”

She tried again with the correct pronunciation. "Yeah?"

“Perfect.” He told her.

"I can say a word in infernal." She smiled

“And soon you will be saying two words in infernal. Wake will be worried.” He smiled at her.

"He should be. You actually speak the language." She countered.

“It is fun to know. Really useful for getting people to mind their own business.” He chuckled.

She nodded. "I feel the same about draconic."

“Draconic sounds like it would be fun to know. It is used in a lot of magic.” He mentioned conversationally.

"It is." She explained. "Can't tell you how many times I've gotten someone draconic in nature to do a double take because I used their mother tongue."

“Yeah, that sounds like something you would do.” He smiled at her.

"Even better if you mix it with Thieves Cant." She giggled.

“You should teach me that one day.” He said, looking her over. “That could be useful to know.”

She nodded emphatically. "It's been exceedingly useful here. Especially with the new employer."

“You are going to get stir crazy around here. You know that right?” he chuckled.

"I am going to work on the yard when I get bored, and I'll get to train more. Do fighter and cleric stuff." She wiggled her fingers, making them glow. "Shit. I never practiced today."

“You have off tomorrow right? You can practice after dinner with your parents.” He explained.

She frowned. "At least, let me try the magic detection. Maybe, we'll find something neat."

“I’m not stopping you.” He told her. “You will have a better time than I will. I am combat oriented.”

She concentrated for a minute before she finally said, "Well, it's working. The password door is magical."

“Good, I was worried it was mechanical in nature.” He joked.

She started to walk around the house. "Doesn't seem to be anything else around up here, but, maybe, downstairs."

Astero stood up, and stretched a bit before walking over to her. “Well, let’s go check it out.”

She walked over to the chimney, and tested the word for open. When she said it, the magic started to work. "Yes!" She celebrated.

“Good job.” He replied encouragingly, giving her a light kiss.

She started to walk down the hall still sensing the magic. "Nothing yet. You don't think?"

He walked down the hall with her, and looked in the few rooms that were attached. “Well, unless the furniture down here is magical. I think the door is the only thing.”

"Yeah, I think you're right." She smiled. "Thank Mask. I don't know if I could've taken another surprise."

He nodded. “Yeah, if we could have a few less surprises in our lives, that would be great.”

"I need a week free from surprises." She groaned.

“Yeah, a surprise free vacation as it were.” He said sighing.

Magdiana dropped concentration on the spell, and fell down onto the couch dramatically. Then, she looked up at Astero with lustful eyes. "How would you like to break in the house?"

He looked at her with a smirk, and walked up to the door in the chimney. He said the word for close, and the door shut behind him keeping them down stairs. “Why don’t we start down here, and work our way to the top?” He suggested, leaning over, and kissing her.

"I am so ready." She sighed, leaning into his kiss, and grabbing at his shirt.

He smiled, and kissed her passionately slowly removing her daggers from her person and tossing them to the side. “We won’t be needing these.” He huskily remarked.

She tore her lips away. "Unless you want them, which I doubt."

“I already have one.” He told her, beginning to unbutton her shirt from the bottom up. “And, I don't need it for this.” He whispered into her ear, nibbling it slightly.

"Yes," She sighed, drawing out the word. She unbuttoned his pants, and snaked her hands into the front of them. "I've wanted this all day. All week."

He kissed down her neck, and removed her bra. “I wanted you all week, too.” He murmured, kissing her breasts while savoring their softness.

"Take me whatever way you want me tonight, As." She leaned into his kisses, giving him better access to her nipples.

“I intend to.” He replied, sucking and nibbling her as he spoke. His hands began to unbutton her pants and move them down her legs.

Magdiana removed her hands from his boxers only long enough to remove them before returning to stroke him. Her hips bucked up towards his in want. "As." She moaned.

He smirked, and retreated to pull of her pants. He was glad she wasn’t wearing undies. He leaned over her, and locked lips with her as he inserted himself fully within her.

"Ahh." She sighed, wrapping her legs around him. Her eyes locked with his. "Yes."

He looked back into her her eyes. “I love you.” He said for her as his hips moved in and out of her.

She kissed him softly. "I love you." She replied, grinding back into him in return. "Fuck. So good."

“This is only the beginning.” He told her as his hips moved a bit faster. “You wanted me to make you scream my name. I intend to see that through.” He smirked, leaning down to kiss her nipples as his hand moved to rub where they met.

Magdiana rubbed his chest and arms, grinding up into him, but most of the sounds she made next weren't actual words. His words sent a wave a pleasure through her, and she shuddered beneath him incredibly turned on and pliable under all of his ministrations. When his fingers found a place she enjoyed, she groaned loudly, making the relatively empty room echo with the sound.

He kissed her nipples a bit more before retreating. He moved faster now as he grabbed her waist with his free hand. He looked over her body with a smile. “I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff, yet. I still could make my fingers vibrate.” He teased, rubbing her mound in circles.

Magdiana nodded, letting out little mewls of pleasure. "As, please." She begged, using her inner muscles to squeeze his cock.

“Of course.” He smirked, snapping his fingers, and making them vibrate before putting them back on her clit. He moved even faster now thrusting into her deeply.

She bucked into him without meaning to when his vibrating fingers touched her nethers. "As." She whined, closing her eyes, and loudly moaning as her fingers grabbed at every piece of him she could touch. "As." Her voice's pitch grew higher as pleasure washed over her. "Close."

He felt his own pleasure rising within him as her movements were helping him immensely. He pulled her into him as he thrust into her faster. His hand moving as fast as it could. He closed his eyes for a moment, and, then, looked down into hers. “Mag.” He moaned as he came into her hard.

Magdiana came over the edge at the same time, gripping onto him tightly as she moaned his name over and over into his ear as wave after wave of pleasure filled her. When she finally settled down, she shook her sweaty hair out of her eyes. "I love you." She told him as their eyes locked.

“I love you.” He told her back in kind, kissing her softly. He waved a hand, and magic washed over her. He smiled at her. “So, where to next?” He asked her.

She wrapped her legs around his hips, and her arms around his shoulders. "Living room, please. Unless you want to break in the kitchen counter instead."

“Living room first.” he smiled at her. “We can have dessert afterwards.” He picked her up, and moved down the hall. He spoke the word to open the door, and carefully sat down on the couch. He brushed her hair out of her face, and kissed her.

She straddled his hips, and started to move up and down on him. "Kitchen sex is dessert? Or is there actual dessert in this house right now?" She asked curiously.

“Yes.” He said, answering both questions at once. “I cook. Of course, I made dessert.” He smiled at her as he fondled her breasts, massaging them in his hands.

She leaned back a bit to watch him. "When we're like this, how do you like me?" She asked, wiggling for him a bit.

“I like to look you over.” He told her honestly, running his hands down her sides, and to her ass before grabbing it. “I love to look at your curves.”

She reached back to use her arms as support on his legs. "So, like this?" She asked, moving faster.

He hummed as he felt her ride him. “That's nice.” He smiled at her.

She started to move faster and harder. "I like it, too." She groaned.

He bucked up into her lightly. His hand moving to rub her clit. “I like you any way, honestly.” He said with a groan, closing his eyes, and letting her bring him pleasure.

She smiled at the sound he made. She kept up the same pace, moaning a bit herself. "Play with me?" She asked wantonly.

He nodded. “Of course.” He agreed as his other hand went to play with her breast and nipple carefully rolling her nipple in his fingers, pinching lightly as he did so.

"Mmm." She groaned. "It's okay if you're a bit more rough. I'm not that breakable."

“I figured as much.” He moaned as he said that. “I am still just trying to learn what you like.” He told her honestly, pinching her nipple harder, and pinching her clit as well.

"As!" She gasped. "Oh. Yes. More of that, please."

He smiled at her reaction, and pinched her clit harder this time, moving up into her as he did so.

"Astero!" She cried out still fucking him as the sudden pinch made her go over the edge. Her movements onto him now made wet slapping sounds as she fucked him. When she finished, she leaned closer to him, kissing him soundly on the lips. "I love you."

“I love you.” He said kissing her back, and wrapping his arms around her as he continued to move inside of her faster. “I’m close.” He moaned, enjoying the feeling of her.

"Well, make my insides the same color as the walls." She joked, fucking him faster.

He came inside of her, shooting his load deep into her. He panted for a moment before chuckling a bit. “That almost threw me off there for a second.” He said, waving his hand over her.

"I just learned how to cast that, but I knew I didn't need it. You've been quite the gentleman." She complimented.

“Thank you, miss.” He smiled at her. “A man should always clean up his messes.” He replied, puffing out his chest a bit.

She wiggled her hips on him. "There's going to be a big mess when we get to the shower."

“Well, it’s a good thing we will be in the shower, then.” He smirked back, moving his hips a bit.

"Where to, Mr. Vosson?" She laughed.

He chuckled. “Well, Ms. Rothenel, I do believe I said something about about dessert. The only question is where to eat it? On the table or off of you? Decisions, decisions.” He jokingly mused.

"But, what was dessert? I want to know what sort of mess I'm signing up for." She laughed.

“I made a chocolate cake. A small one for the two of us, but the icing is quite messy.” He told her with a smile.

"Table, please. I don't want chocolate crumbles in important crevices." She deadpanned.

“Okay.” He nodded. “So long as I get to lick some of the icing off of your nipples.” He countered.

She nodded in agreement. "That's fine." She said. "But, you have to slowly fuck me through the whole thing."

“The licking? That I can do.” He promised, leaning in to kiss her.

"The cake eating, too." She corrected.

He hummed it over for a moment. “I think I can do that.” He told her honestly. “I just need to know if you will be on your back, or bent over the table.” He smirked at her.

"Bend me over the table." She said quickly. "You haven't taken me that way, yet."

“Sounds like a plan.” He replied, smacking her ass playfully. “Let’s go have dessert, then, shall we?”

She smirked. "I think I like this sort of dessert." She held tightly onto him before they started to move. "I also like that you can basically fuck me while casually walking me around the house."

He smiled, and set her ass down on the edge of the table. “It helps that you are so fit.” He replied honestly. “Otherwise, I would be doing most of the work.”

"I'm just holding you." She scoffed in reply. "What else am I supposed to do? Have you service me?" She made a face like something foul was in the room.

He shook his head, and bopped her on the nose with a finger. “I could do that if you wanted, but, no, some girls are lazy.” He told her, unhinging her legs from around his waist. “Now, let me go get cake for us.” He said with a light kiss.

She kissed him back. "I would much rather participate than just lay there. Besides, fucking hard is a workout." She left her legs exactly where he put them, which must've been quite the visual for him. "I want to break in the bed soon."

He cut the cake, and plated it. When he turned around to see her on the table, he paused to admire her for a moment. He walked over, and handed her the plate. “It will be soon.” He smiled, inserting himself back inside of her.

"I thought I was going to be bent over the table rather than sitting on it?" She joked, taking a bite of cake, and groaning. "You make words fail me today."

“Thank you.” He said, stealing a small kiss. “You are going to be bent over the table, but it is hard to lick icing off of you when you are that way.” He told her, taking a small dollop of icing, and putting it on her nipple.

She giggled at the finger on her nipples. "Okay, that's sticky, As." She tried to wiggle away, but couldn't really go far, so she retaliated by putting frosting on his nipple.

He looked at his nipple, and, then, looked back at her. “Well, now, we'll both be licking.” He smirked, leaning in to lick the frosting off of her slowly. He moved his hips at an agonizingly slow pace as he did so.

"How the actual fuck do I want you this badly?" She sighed to him. "You've gotten me off twice already."

He licked her nipple clean, and looked at her. “I guess you are just pent up from this week, and we are making up for lost time.” He teased, leaning down to lick her other nipple clean. His hips still moving all the while.

"Your tongue is magical." She remarked. "I'm so horny from this past week, As. I barely got to see you."

He kissed her nipple as he finished licking it. “And, I have been waiting all week to see you.” He replied, kissing her before he set his plate to the side, and grabbed hers to do the same. “So, let's not hold back.” He whispered to her, lifting her leg, and turning her over onto the table, staying inside of her the whole time.

"What have you been imagining doing to me all week?" She asked him, adjusting her legs to get better purchase on the table. "I want to hear about it."

He leaned down over her, and kissed her cheek. “Hearing you moan and scream my name.” He whispered in her ear. His nails trailing down her back. “But, most importantly, fucking you long and hard.” He said, slamming in to her.

"Do it, Astero. Fuck me." She backed her hips into him, fucking him in return. Her hands moved to play with herself, and her chest rested on the table. She reached down between them, and played with his balls.

Astero grabbed a handful of her hair, and began to thrust faster into her. He moaned as he felt her begin to play his balls. He took his free hand, bringing it down hard on her ass cheek, and making a resounding clap echo throughout the room. “When I am done, it will hurt to sit.” He threatened her lovingly.

"As!" She screamed out with the spank. She didn't realize it, but her reaction was to clench around him. Her head with her hair still gripped in his fingers turned to look at him. She meant to say something, but he'd made her forget it. Instead, she moaned, moving one hand from him to play with herself instead. Her moans grew louder and longer. There was now almost no end to them.

He smiled at her as he saw the effect he was having on her. Seeing and hearing her moan was making him harder. He moved faster into her now, moving the table a bit with each thrust. His one hand continued to slap her ass while he pulled her hair with the other. He let out a moan of pleasure, and continued his ministrations.

She grunted, thrusting her hips back into his. Her back arched, and she screamed out. "Astero! Ahh! As!" As she came, practically vibrating in his arms. She came back to herself, panting. "I love you."

Astero came soon after she did; her vibrations sending him over the edge of pleasure. He let go of her hair, and slumped over her, panting. "I love you." He whispered to her.

She fell limp onto the table. "I think I need a little break before we keep going." She admitted. "That was intense." Her muscles were shaking and quivering on the table beneath him.

“That's fine.” He said, lifting himself off of her. “I could use a break too.” He sighed, and waved his hand over her, letting the magic wash into her. “Do you want some water? Cause I need some.” He asked her seriously.

"Yes, please." She asked, hopping off of the table. "Those spanks started to hurt."

He smiled slightly. “I would say sorry, but you seemed to like it.” He smirked walking to the kitchen to get the water.

Her legs were shaking as she took a seat at the table. "You were very distracting."

Astero walked back with the water in hand, and gave her a glass. He sat down next to her, and sighed. “I haven't used those muscles in a while.” He said, feeling a bit sore.

"You're not alone." She replied. "I guess, we'll just have to work them out together."

“And, we should have plenty of time now.” He smiled back at here.

"I'm pretty sure that I will still have to work some potentially crazy hours, As." She laughed. "You should see the shit they want me to make in one day."

“I didn’t mean right away.” He laughed back. “I meant we will be able to actually spend time together.” He told her.

She smiled. "That, we will have. I can't wait to see how it all pans out after the weekend."

“Yeah, it will be fun to see what the future holds.” He smiled, taking a large swig of water.

Magdiana chugged her water. "Okay, I was thirsty." She stood up from the table, and stretched a bit. "Where to from here?"

“So was I.” He said standing up. “Well, we got the basement, the living room, and kitchen. Bedroom?” He asked her.

"I'm down. Have to break in the bed." She smiled widely, starting to walk up the stairs.

“Let’s just not break the bed.” He smiled as he followed her, watching her hips sway as she walked.

"That sounds like it would hurt." She chuckled. "Wouldn't that take, like, a lot of force?"

“Maybe. I have never actually done it.” He smiled at her. “And, I don't want to find out this early. We did just get the house.”

"Well, we're not going to break it before moving or something. That would be stupid." She made it to the bed, and jumped in, posing for him. "How would you like me?"

He smiled, and climbed on to the bed. “Just the way you are.” He smiled, kissing his way up her legs.

"On my side?" She laughed. "I won't be as wiggly like that."

“Then, how about I ask you this. How do you want to be taken?” He asked, looking up to her, and resting his chin on her abdomen.

"No, this works. I was just surprised, I guess." She squirmed beneath him. "Get over here, and fuck me; or whatever it is you'd like to do to me."

He smirked, and kissed her slowly, moving up her chest and kissing her passionately when he arrived at her lips. “I just want you.” He told her honestly. His hands trailing the curves of her skin. “Up, down, left, right. Table. I don’t care. I just want you next to me.” He whispered to her.

She kissed him slowly, hands rubbing up and down his arms. She pulled away for breath. Her legs wrapped around his waist. "Just make love to me, Astero." She told him quietly, brushing hair out of his eyes. "I love you."

“I love you, Magdiana.” He told her truthfully. He peppered her neck with kisses, and caressed her skin with his hands, worshiping her body as he took her form to memory. He slowly moved himself inside of her, taking care to make sure she was relaxed and loved.

Her hands cradled his face. "Astero." She breathed. Her legs wrapped around him tighter. Her eyes closed, and her body arched into him. She sighed as her hands slowly moved down to rub his back, massaging the muscles there. "You're tense." She commented.

“Not trying to be.” He quietly told her gently massaging her muscles as well. “It has just been a long week.” He said, beginning to move slowly inside of her.

She moved her hips back into his. "I will happily be your stress relief, love." She kissed him softly. Her fingers still busy on his back.

He smiled at her softly. “You know, if someone were to tell me a month ago we would be in this position together, I would have killed them on the spot.” He chuckled, moving his hips back into her. “Happily.” He added, kissing her softly.

"I wouldn't have killed them on the spot, but I definitely would have laughed in their face. I admit, when I started having a crush on you, I never thought we'd get this far." She clenched her muscles around him. "You feel amazing, As."

He moved inside of her a bit. “You feel amazing, Mag.” He smiled at her, and moved faster, savoring the feeling of her around him.

She kissed him, blushing a bit. "I might take a bit longer to get there. We've been at it like rabbits."

“It’s fine. I'm in no rush.” He said, slowing down a bit. “We can always just cuddle.” He said honestly.

"Soon. Not yet, but, maybe, no shower sex." She ground into him. "This orgasm will be phenomenal, though."

He smiled, and kissed her. “We will also have to go down to the basement and get our clothes. We did kind of leave them there.” He chuckled, kissing her neck.

She smirked. "But, it's our house. We can leave them wherever we want for as long as we want."

“We can walk around naked all day, if you want.” He smirked, as he moved to kiss her nipples.

"As long as I'm not working, I probably will." She told him honestly. She moaned into his open mouthed kisses. "Will really put a damper on my dagger wearing quantities."

“You are going to make it really hard to concentrate.” He said suckling on her nipple. His hands snaked down and underneath her, and he pulled her closer to his body. “On cooking, cleaning, and relaxing.” He smirked a bit before working on her other nipple.

She laughed. "But, this is relaxing, and I am very good at making you forget to concentrate" Her hands moved to squeeze his butt, moving him into her more firmly. "Mmm."

“You are the only one to actually make me lose concentration.” He smirked, moving more firmly into her now, and watching her reactions as he moved.

"Really?" She gasped a little bit at the feeling of him. "I never. Oh, As, do that again." She told him, being distracted by what he was going to her.

“Yes.” He told her, moving firmly into her again. “And, I do love that face you make.”

She gripped onto him tightly as if he might float away. "I don't- make it on purpose. You make me make the face." Her eyes closed a bit, and she sighed again. "I'm closer than I thought I would be. Fuck."

He leaned down, and kissed her. “And I love that I can make you have it.” He whispered to her as he continued his firm pace into her. “I love you.”

"And, I," she said as he moved into and out of her, "love you." She shook in his arms a bit. "So close, Astero." She whispered.

He continued his firm pace not letting up until he saw her cum. He held her firmly against him, making sure she would feel safe.

Magdiana moaned and sighed, grabbing onto him tightly as she came and he moved inside of her. This orgasm lasted much longer than the others, and she locked eyes with him somewhere in the middle of it. She couldn't form words, but she knew he understood her love and trust as she eventually came back down from her high. "Astero." She muttered, suddenly realizing that she was crying. "Fuck." She started to move to wipe her eyes clear, but his hands stopped her.

Astero wiped the tears from her eyes, brushing her hair to the side as he did so. He leaned down, and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Doing okay there?” He asked her with a small smile. “First time I ever made a woman cry from sex.” He chuckled softly.

She bit her lip, and nodded. "Yeah. I don't know where that came from." She blushed. "That's never happened before."

He gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “Did it at least feel good?” He asked her, looking into her eyes.

"I may have to make up a word to describe how good it was." She told him honestly.

“Good.” He smirked, kissing her softly, and rolling over to the side of her. “As long as you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters.”

"You haven't cum yet." She complained, rolling over, and pinning him to the bed. "Let me make you feel good."

He jumped a bit at her sudden pinning. “Okay.” He said putting his hands up in mock defeat. “You just looked a little tired is all.” He told her honestly.

She shook her head at him, moving in to kiss him. "I'm not going to let you give me an orgasm like that and not finish yourself." She chastised, moving down his body, and spinning herself around so that her back was to him. Her mouth lowered to lick his member a few times before she came back up. "Tastes like me. Weird."

He smiled as she licked him. “I personally like your taste.” He told her, running his hands down her back.

She moved her hips, and lined herself up, holding his cock in her hand before slowly inserting him into her ass. "Yes, but do you like your taste? Because there's a difference." She giggled, moving up and down on him. "We don't have to use the spell this way."

“Huh, I never expected you to be into anal.” He smirked slightly, moving his hands around her, and wrapping his hands around her breasts. “I am not a fan of it, but it isn’t the worst thing.” He told her honestly, moving his hips a bit.

"Actually, because I didn't know the spell, this was preferable for awhile." She told him in return. "If you want, we can stop."

“No, it’s fine.” He told her. “Nothing against it. Just some refuse to try it.” He squeezed her breasts a bit, and rested his head on the bed, enjoying the ride she was having.

She started to move a bit faster for him. "I would try anything once for you." She offered.

He sighed as he felt a small wave of pleasure hit him. “You are too kind.” He smiled at her. “But, I honestly wouldn’t know where to start. Haven’t done anything that would be considered ‘out there’.” He explained, closing his eyes as he did so.

She moved a hand around to play with his balls as she fucked him. "If you come up with anything you think you want to try, I will try it with you."

He moaned as her movements worked their magic. “Okay, and, if you want to try anything, just ask.” He told her, pulling her slightly back towards him.

She leaned back into his hands, trusting him to hold her up as she fucked him. "I love you, Astero." She told him, knowing he was close.

“I love you, Magdiana.” He moaned, supporting her weight, and getting ever nearer to the orgasm she was bringing him. His hands squeezed her breasts harder, and his hips began to buck into her without him thinking about it. He panted, and, in a few short moments, he came deep into her ass; his cock twitching and spasming as he did. He laid there panting for a moment. “Fuck.”

"We just did." She laughed a bit, patting his thigh. She slowly removed herself from him, turning to kiss him before backing out of the bed. "How about that shower? In the least graphic terms I can come up with, both of my holes are dripping with you." She smirked at him.

He nodded, sitting up, and shaking his head awake a bit more. “Yeah, that sounds good.” He replied, getting out of the bed, and following her. “At least, it was just below. It could have been a bigger mess.” He smirked back at her.

She walked into the bathroom, and examined the new fixtures. "Uhh, not used to this type." She sounded embarrassed.

He walked up behind her, and looked at the fixture. “It’s not that difficult. The one handle controls both hot and cold. You just move it till the water feels right.” He explained, turning on the water for her.

"You're a fucking wizard." She laughed, feeling stupid. "Thank you. That would've taken me forever, and, yes, we definitely could've made a bigger mess."

He smiled at her. “No, I’m fucking a cleric.” He smirked, playfully booping her nose with a finger.

She turned into his arms, kissing him deeply. "I'm a very zealous cleric." She winked.

He held her for a moment, enjoying the kiss. “I noticed.” He winked back. His hand trailing down her back a bit before he stepped into the shower.

She followed him into the stream of water. "Mmm. Cold." She sighed before making a sad face. "It's too fucking hot here."

‘It isn’t even summer, yet. We're going to die when it hits.” He sighed.

"I'm pretty sure that I would accept death versus what is going to happen soon. Wait. Does the house have climate control?" She asked nervously.

He thought it over for a moment. “I don’t know. We are checking if it does before we sleep tonight.” He told her.

"I will work my ass off to earn enough money before the heat hits to get it." She promised.

“Agreed.” He nodded, reveling in the water's coolness.

She looked around the shower, and laughed. "We really need to go shopping. We have nothing. No scrubby, no shampoo, soap." She rubbed her hands on his chest. "Don't worry. I've got you."

He curled his hands into small fists, and gently scrubbed her skin. “Scrubby, scrubby, scrubby.” He mimicked as he moved his hands.

"I love you, you dufus." She giggled as he all but groped her. Her hands scrubbed him in a similar fashion before she stole them away. "I need to get my fun bits."

“You take care of them. I will get mine.” He said turning slightly, and cleaning himself.

She did the same for herself, and giggled. "Another thing that I would've said was crazy a month ago."

“What? Cleaning our fun bits next to one another?” He asked rhetorically.

"Yes." She giggled. "There is a serious part of me that thinks this is insane right now."

He turned, and pinched her butt lightly. “Did you feel that?” He asked her. “If so, it’s real.” He giggled.

"ACH! Yes, I felt that." She jumped away from him, almost slipping. "You are so lucky that I am dexteritous as fuck. Otherwise, I would've gone down and taken you with me."

He chuckled a bit. “There are worse ways to go.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes a bit. "I know. I make them. Speaking of which, do you have any idea why Wake needed poison? He spent 500 gold for a vial of 'surprise me and go crazy'."

“Not a clue.” He told her honestly. “Probably just trying to help out the store, I guess.” He shrugged.

"500 gold to help out a store. Dear Mask, I hope that I can have that sort of money one day." She sighed a bit at the thought. "You good?"

“Yeah.” He nodded, looking her over. “Hope you are feeling better.” He smiled.

"Much." She nodded. "Now, what to do with the rest of the night?"

“Lay down and relax?” He asked. “More tired now than anything.” He said with a small yawn.

She gave him his towel, and smiled. "Cuddling it is."

He dried himself off quickly, and put an arm around her. “Physically, I am tired. Mentally, I am wide awake.” He smiled at her, pulling her close to him.

"Okay." She nodded. "So, tell me, mentally wide awake. Now that we have the house, what next?"

“Well, we still have jobs to deal with, and there is still my brother to worry about and whatever we are going to do about The King.” He told her.

"I'm still not 100% clear what is up with the guy, but I can make some educated guesses." She made a face at him, hanging her towel back up to dry. "I'm still trying to connect a lot of dots, though. It all seems connected, but how? Why?"

“We are a part of this. That much is clear, but what that part is could be anything. Rivin needs us. The King is looking out for us, and the elders trained us to be weapons.” He told her. “It had to be for something.”

"I feel like the elders were either supposed to be doing something else for The King, or were helping Rivin, or something. I don't think that they're huge players in this. In fact, they're probably dead right now." She surmised. "Wake said they'd been handled."

“So, we just need to figure out what Rivin is up to, or, maybe, stop him.” He replied, moving to sit on the bed.

She laid on the bed next to him. "I think he's probably too guarded to get information out of him, at this point. We've kind of just gotta fall into his plans for a bit. Then, we can hopefully get close enough to stop him. I just keep thinking about him as me. What if I'd been on my own like him with one goal for nearly two decades."

“You would be just as terrifying.” He told her honestly. “And, with your magic now, you might be even better. Granted, I don't know if he can cast.” Astero trailed off for a moment before looking to Mag. “You only started cast just before we left Yutan, right?” He asked.

"It was the first time I'd cast, but I could do some stuff that my Mom could do before that without realizing it. I only noticed recently what it was." She explained. "I shouldn't be able to throw as quickly as I can, except that I am a special type of cleric."

“Yeah, I know all that, but what if they were training you to not be a rogue, but a replacement… For Rivin.” He explained to her, looking at her seriously.

She looked at him skeptically. "That's not possible, is it?" Her mind reeled, trying to put two and two together.

“We know my brother is smart. Disgustingly smart. What if he was using us as a backup in case his plans didn’t follow through? You to be like him- because you are pretty close, and me for protection. Or something like that.” He suggested, sitting up straighter now.

"But why the fuck would they teach me draconic instead of infernal?" She asked seriously. "I can see some connections, but why?"

“In the event that, maybe, one of us didn’t make it through the training?” He asked back. “Divide and conquer sort of mentality.”

She nodded, starting to put things together. "So, he can cast, then. In fact, he can probably do a lot of stuff we both can do, except, he's probably better."

“Yeah. then we need to get better.” He said, looking at her intently. “We should try to each be as smart as him. Double down on what he has.”

"I need to work more on the fighter stuff, then." She resolved. "Might be good to have a more versatile weapon arsenal. Besides, if I get bound weapons like you, I can have seventeen daggers."

He nodded, and, then, smiled. “Of course, you want more stabby things.” He said shaking his head lightly.

"If I have seventeen, I might as well round it out to eighteen. Gives me six throws before I'm empty handed." She shrugged.

“So, you will have sixteen on you, and, then, two daggers bound to to you?” He asked her.

"Yes." She deadpanned.

“Then, we are going to have to work you hard to get to that point,” he told her, “and do a lot of arcane studies.”

She took a nosedive into the bed. "Ugh. Magicky bullshit."

“Yeah, it sucks, but it is the only way to get the summoning down.” He told her, rubbing her back a bit. “Besides, I think I might know how to help you along faster.”

Her head perked up. "You have my attention."

“Well, for starters, I know the shortcuts. Also, depending on how fast you want to learn it, your Mom will probably be able to help with the spells. That was the biggest hurdle for me.” He explained to her.

"My Mom's spell teaching style is helpful but annoying. Like, seriously, 'just think really hard about protecting someone, and it should work'. What does that mean?" She put her head in her hands.

“I think she means to feel it out.” He told her. “Focus on a feeling and use it, which isn’t too far from what I do.” He replied.

She sat up. "Can I try something?"

“Sure.” He said, turning to face her.

She touched his shoulder lightly, thinking hard about protecting him, and, when she saw a shimmer pass over him, she eyed it for a second before trying to smack him, finding that she couldn't. "Huh. That's a neat trick."

He looked over himself. He didn't feel any different. “I'm not really seeing a trick here.” He replied, looking confused at her.

"It works more on me than you. Made me question if I actually wanted to hit you, and I couldn't." She explained. "Want me to try it on myself so you can try it out?"

He shook his head at her. “You know I don't like hitting you.” He told her. “And, don’t burn through all your spells in the span of an hour.” He chuckled.

"Well, I'm confident I'll sleep well enough to get them back tomorrow, but you're right. I only have three right now." She told him.

“Good.” He smiled at her. “Soon, you will have more spells than I ever will.” He joked at her. “You're lucky in that regard.”

"Clerics are a bit more spell oriented." She blushed. "But, you'll always be able to do more damage than me long term."

He looked over her as she turned red. “Don’t blush over something like that.” He sighed, turning her face towards him. “Yes, I might deal more damage, but you will be able to be just as gross.” He smiled at her.

"Like healing you back up to full in an instant?" She asked him.

“One of the many things, yes.” He replied, giving her a peck on the cheek before laying down.

"Sleepy, now?" She asked him.

“A bit. My mind went a little overboard back there.” He chuckled.

She giggled at him, rolling him into his side, and scooting up behind him. "Well, I'll protect you. You over thinker."

He scootched back into her, and pulled her hands around him. “Thank you, my beautiful rogue.” He whispered to her.

She kissed the back of his head. "Goodnight, and you're welcome, my Eldritch Knight." It wasn't long before Magdiana could hear Astero's soft snores. She was tired, but his theory from earlier kept her awake deep into the night. She eventually found sleep much later or earlier, depending on how one viewed it.

Magdiana awoke to an empty bed in a strange room. A moment of panic washed over her before she realized where she was. She looked around, and stepped out of the bed quietly walking downstairs to hear and smell the crackling of bacon. She smiled, moving to the counter, and sitting on it. "You scared me for a minute there." She told him.

“Sorry.” He smiled at her, leaning in to give her a small kiss. “You were sleeping peacefully, so I didn't want to wake you.” He told her, cracking some eggs into the frying pan.

"Thank you. I didn't get to sleep until late. You got me thinking last night, but, when I did finally fall asleep, I slept hard." She watched him work in the kitchen for a minute before speaking again, "I want to meet your brother." She told him resolutely.

He paused for a moment, and looked at her intently. "Are you sure?" He asked her seriously. "We know he's smart, but I don't think he will just show his face if we ask him."

"Here's the thing. I'm not sure, but, if you think they were training me to be like him somehow and for whatever reason, I need to know." She made a face, and covered it with her hands, groaning. "Fuck, Astero. This is driving me mad. When it all clicks, I'm going to feel like an idiot. I'm sure of it."

He leaned in, and kissed her. “You are not an idiot. You are one of the smartest people I know.” He told her truthfully. “We are just dealing with someone who is smarter.”

"I have never felt this stupid in my life, As. Your brother is a fucking mastermind." She groaned, looking at him seriously.

“He's smart.” He said in agreement. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t beat him. It just means we will have to try harder.” He replied, plating breakfast.

"As, he's scary smart. He's broken up all of the information into chunks that we can't even piece together. It's like, it's like the damn puzzle back at The Rook. You can't even tell what the picture is of yet even though there's some semblance of an outline." She explained. "I'm not sure I'm good enough to figure it out."

He looked at her intently. “Like a puzzle, it will take time to figure it out. We start at the edge of it all, and work our way in.”

"I feel like we got a bunch of scattered pieces, and there's not a single edge in sight." She told him honestly. "You know what? I don't care anymore. Just feed me, and call me pretty."

“You are beautiful.” He smiled, handing her the plate of food. “Now, eat you bacon and eggs, naked lady.” He chuckled.

She looked down at her chest. "I totally forgot I was naked to be honest."

“Well, it definitely is a nice sight to see in the morning.” He teased, walking over to the table to sit down.

She stole a kiss. "Thank you for cooking."

“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “So, do we go shopping for supplies for the house before your family arrives? Or what is the plan?” He asked her taking a bite of food.

"We've got to go shopping. I need at least one more workstation for poisoner's supplies. Otherwise, I won't be able to keep up with what these guys want." She told him.

“Okay, then. Shopping trip it is. I will get supplies for dinner, you get work supplies, and, then, we can shop for house things when we're done. Sound good?” He asked her with a smile.

She nodded, eating several bites of food before responding. "Deal."

“Good.” He smirked quickly eating his food and standing up. “Okay, I am going to go get our clothes, or, rather, your clothes.” He told her, making his way to the chimney.

"Yeah, I don't have any others with me." She laughed. "You're the best!"

He turned to her, and gave a small bow. “I try.” He said, turning, and opening the door before disappearing. He came back a few short minutes later, and set them on the table for her. “Here you go. All present and accounted for. Except for you undies, of course.” He chuckled, sitting down.

"I have no recollection about be where those are. Also, can you prestidigitate these for me, please?" She asked, blinking innocently at him.

“For you? Of course.” He responded, kissing her, and cleaning them with the cantrip. “Also, your panties are in my room at The Rook.” He told her.

She hummed. "Oh, now I remember. Huh. Guess I didn't need them that much if I'd already forgotten."

“Guess so.” He chuckled.

"I feel like I'm being judged." She deadpanned, smiling at him widely. "I'm comfortable with my body. And you."

“No judgement here.” He told her. “If you want to walk around naked, I won't stop you.” He smiled at her. “I'm just shocked that you didn’t realize I took your underwear was all.” He smirked.

"If I did notice, it entirely slipped my mind." She told him honestly. She started to dress, and stole another kiss. "I'm ready to shop."

“I've been ready.” He chuckled at her. “Let's go adult.” He smiled

She laughed. "I like the way you say that as if we're not already adulting by simply existing."

“One can exist and not adult. We are adulting so hard.” He chuckled, holding out his hand for her to grab.

She grabbed his hand, and stood up, walking towards the door. "Huh, do I have a key?" She asked, feeling stupid.

“Oh! Right.” He exclaimed, reaching into his pocke,t and handing her the other key. “Here you go.” He offered, holding it out for her.

"Thanks." She smiled, pocketing it. "Was wondering if I didn't get one because I can just pick the lock."

“Oh, yeah. You’re right. Give it back, then.” He joked, pecking her on the cheek.

"Nope. It's mine now." She told him firmly. "Now, where to first?"

"Let's do your shopping first. My shopping is perishable." He said to her.

She nodded. "I should probably shop at multiple stores, anyway. Let's go."

"Sounds good to me." He said, leading the way out of the door.

"So, master chef, what's for dinner?" She asked conversationally. "Or are you still thinking?"

He shrugged a bit. "I have a few ideas. Either chicken or beef. Still debating on what exactly." He told her honestly.

"I'm sure that, whatever it is, it will be delicious." She smiled up at him as she lead him towards the group of stores she needed.

"Oh, it will." He told her. "It will be one of the best meals you have ever had." He chuckled softly, watching as she looked around. "And, what are you looking for?"

"You mean, other than the supplies I need for work? Or just those?" She giggled. "Because I am currently looking for- well, a lot of distilling and chemistry supplies, but I can't help but keep an eye out for anything else."

"In general. I have no idea how your stuff works, so I am just curious is all." He said, looking at some odd doodad's.

She smiled at him, kissing his cheek. "How much do you remember from chemistry class?"

He thought for a moment. "Vinegar and baking soda make bubbles." He giggled.

"Alright. I can work with that." She told him. "That's a chemical reaction, but I need to deal more in exothermic reactions right now. Chemical reactions involving heat, so the supplies I need are to keep the byproducts from that inside and safe from being touched or inhaled."

"Okay, so gloves and a mask. Or use mage hand." He replied.

She shook her head. "Actually, if you get certain beakers with certain tubes and clamps, you can have the new substance move itself into a different vial by way of the reaction. I don't even have to worry about that part. It's all sealed."

"That's cool. I never really got that far into chemistry. It never really caught my attention." He explained.

"Kinda had it forced on me, but, yeah, it can get really cool." She smiled. "I like being able to create something useful from almost nothing. Besides, it's quite the lucrative line of work. Even if it is morally questionable."

“It's nice to do that. Maybe, that’s why I like baking so much.” He smiled. ”And, don’t worry about the morality. There are worse ways to make coin.”

She chuckled, picking up the supplies she needed, and walking to the front to pay for it. She leaned towards him, and whispered, "yeah, I could be having sex for money."

Astero leaned back, and whispered into her ear. “I could always give you a coin when we have sex.”

"Absolutely not." She deadpanned. "Unless you want to be stabbed." She handed the worker her items, and he bagged them up, telling her a relatively reasonable price that made Astero's eyes bug out a bit. She turned to him for the coin, realizing that he still had her spending money.

He handed her the coin in question with a trembling hand. “Holy shit. That's expensive.” He whispered to himself.

"You have to spend money to make money." She reminded him. "Can't make sandwiches without buying the bread, cheese, meat, and vegetables."

“I know that, but damn.” He told her. “I'm glad I just stick with food. I wouldn’t be comfortable sending that much so often.”

"I honestly just need multiple workstations. Won't need to buy more of this unless things go very wrong or very right. Now, to go get the herbs I need." She made a face. "And seeds for the garden."

“If you want, I can grow the lavender for you.” He offered to her. “I'll keep it off to the side, so you don’t run into it.”

She beamed at him. "I love you."

“I love you.” He smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “I don’t want you to have bad days.”

"Thank you." She told him. "I'd really appreciate that. It'll save a lot of money to grow it in the long term, too."

“No problem.” He smiled at her.

She took her bags, and started walking towards a shop where she could get the necessary seeds and plant products. These were priced much better than the more permanent supplies, and she went a little crazy. She was already very excited to get started on the garden. "Now, we just need a cat." She giggled.

“We can wait a bit before we get a get cat.” He chuckled at her. “Let’s get the garden looking nice first.”

She wiggled one of the packets of aconite seeds. "And, nice and deadly." She laughed.

“We will need to make sure that Jacob stays away from some of those.” He told her, looking around for a place that sold decent food.

"He's not stupid. He won't eat the stuff. Very little of this is contact based. I didn't want to deal with that." She told him honestly.

“Okay, good. I don’t want any deaths on the property that we haven't caused personally.” He replied, trailing off a bit.

"Was trying to block those bits out." She answered quietly. "I honestly thought that I'd feel worse about having done that, but, after I saw the information they had on Jacob-" She trailed off, letting her thoughts trail off. Her jaw was set. Resolute and determined.

He put an arm around her, and pulled her next to him. “Sorry.” He told her quietly. “Didn’t mean to make you think like that.” He gave her a quick side hug. “Let's focus on dinner. I know you will eat anything, but what would you like? Pretty sure your Mom will like it too.”

"Well, let's go a little crazy." She decided. "They haven't had your cooking. How about steak?"

“I can do that. What about sides?” He asked her, thinking about options.

She hummed. "Rolls and some sort of veggie. I know Mom wants Jacob to eat more vegetables."

He nodded. “Then, I will make sure he loves them.” He smiled, leading the way to the shops. ”And, maybe, some baked potatoes as well.” He added.

"Now, I'm hungry. Yum." She told him, pecking him on the cheek. "Thank you for cooking. I really appreciate it."

“You’re very welcome.” He smiled back at her. “I like cooking, so it isn’t that big a deal.” He said, moving from stall to stall, and checking the produce in order to buy the best quality ones he could find. After a few minutes, he had all the things he needed for dinner.

"So, home?" She asked him. "Or, since we're out, to The Rook?"

“Yeah, let's quickly get my stuff, and give Raze my key back.” He said dutifully.

Magdiana nudged him a bit. "She's going to be upset that we're not around to spy on anymore."

“She will get over it.” He told her. “There will be something else to get her attention soon.”

"Wake should be back too, I think." She smirked, looking at him conspiratorially. "I can't wait to see him."

“He will be pissed.” He chuckled.

She smiled, "So? He'll want to fight us."

“More than likely, or, at the very least, get us back.” He smiled at her.

"He doesn't even know what he'll be starting if he tries to retaliate." She smirked, opening the door to The Rook.

“Not a clue. Like walking into an inferno, thinking its a candle.” Astero chuckled evilly.

Magdiana hefted both of her bags onto one arm, and waved at Raze. "Hey, Raze. Good to see you."

Raze looked between the two of them. "It looks like you two have been busy." She looked around before conspiratorially saying. "Wake tried to visit your room last night, but you were not there. He is very salty still."

Astero stopped, and looked at Raze. “How long was he looking?” He asked her cautiously.

"He eventually used the master key to let himself in. He was very disappointed that you weren't there. All in all, about an hour." She shrugged.

He sighed, and looked to Mag. “Do you mind leading the way?” He asked her with a frown. “Something is going to be in there.” He sighed.

"No problem." She said. "Would you mind watching my bags, Raze? I don't want the breakables to be damaged by the obvious booby trap."

Raze nodded. "That's fine. Leave it here."

"Thank you, Mag." Astero said, giving her a small kiss.

Magdiana nodded, rushing up the stairs, and carefully picking the lock; she pushed the door open, standing to the side in case the trap was door related. When nothing happened, she tread inside the room, looking around for any signs of danger or other traps. Seeing nothing, she stepped in only to literally have the rug underneath her pulled out from under her. She started to fall, and, in the same motion, she was suddenly on the ceiling in a net. "Okay, he's good." She groaned from the confines of the net. "As? Help, please!"

Astero sighed, and set his things down before marching up to the room. He paused when he saw the sight before him. He chuckled a bit, and began to carefully cut her down. “That might be the oddest sight I have seen.” He told her.

"We will not speak of this. Ever." She told him, covering his mouth.

He smirked, and licked the inside of her hand. “That could be difficult, but I will stay quiet for you.”

She made a face, and wiped her hand on her pants. "Just, please, don't advertise it to others. I have a reputation to uphold."

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He smiled, moving to the dresser to get his things.

She helped gather his things, adding them to her pack, which was starting to get weighty. "We'll have to do this for my stuff, too."

“We should probably drop our things off, and, then, go get your things. We might not have enough arms to carry it all.” He said as he saw her hefting her bag onto her shoulder.

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "And, I didn't mean right away. I would be fine with waiting until tomorrow."

He smiled. “Okay. That works. For the time being, you can just steal another one of my shirts." He chuckled. He took a quick look around, and looked at her. “I think that's everything.” He said confidently.

She looked around, and found nothing. "You did forget one thing." She smiled, stepping in front of him, and making a kissy face, which made her giggle.

“Oh, how could I be so foolish.” He smirked, leaning in to kiss her.

She smiled, and grabbed his hand. "Let's get out of here before Wake comes to-" She opened the door to find a blue tiefling outside the door, and groaned. "Gloat." She finished.

Wake looked at the two of them like a predator catching his prey. “Well, hello. Long time no see!” He exclaimed, looking the two over carefully.

"Hi, there, Wake. How was your trip?" She asked him with a smirk already knowing the answer.

“Oh, you know. Saw some sea monsters, a few mermaids, and a haunted fucking dresser.” He deapanned.

Astero looked to Wake, and smirked a bit. “Wow, sounds like you need to see a cleric.”

“Which is why I am here.” Wake nearly growled.

Magdiana eyed Wake. "You look fine to me. Do you really need healing from a shit cleric like me?"

He took a small step forward. “I know what you did to my dresser.” He glowered at her. “Talcum powder and a swift shot to my dick was not fun.” He grimaced a bit. “It took me three days to undo the mess that was the drawers, you evil woman.”

Magdiana smirked. "The shot to your dick, as you put it, was not my idea. The rest was all me."

He made an odd face before he turned to Astero. “Why would you even suggest something like that?” He asked, sounding betrayed.

“Well, to put it simply, you poured a bucket of water on my head within the first few days of us meeting, and you threw me off of your ship.” He told the captain with a smile.

“You- you two are evil. This is going to be fun.” He grinned at them.

Magdiana groaned. "Nothing that will maim or kill, and nothing that will jeopardize jobs. Everything else is fair game."

He thought it over for a moment. “Deal.” He agreed, extending his hand to Magdiana.

She reached out to shake his hand. "We'll keep Raze out of the splash zone."

“Good. If she gets involved, there will be blood.” Wake sighed.

"Speaking of blood, when can we fight you next?" She looked to Astero. "We feel like we're getting out of shape."

Wake nodded. “In the next day or so is fine. I will be leaving for a few days after that.” He told them.

Astero nodded. “Good. We need the training.” He replied, stretching a bit. His muscles were feeling tight.

"Tomorrow for sure, and, maybe, even the next day." She told Wake. "We both have long weekends."

“Tomorrow works for me. I need to get things in order for my upcoming trip, so I can't do the next day, unfortunately." Wake responded. 

"That's fine." She told him. "I'll keep working on the cleric and fighter training."

“Fighter?” Wake asked, looking to Astero. “What have you put into her head?”

“Me? Nothing. It was all her own doing.” Astero replied to Wake.

She smirked again. "You know how many daggers I could throw if I was as fast as Astero?" She asked. "I need to be able to do that."

“That would be terrifying.” Wake shuddered a bit. “I do not want to be the target of all that.” He groaned, gesturing to all of her.

"And, yet, you probably will be." She smiled, sidestepping around Wake to head downstairs. "Anyway, we're heading out. We've got dinner with my parents and perishable foods in bags ready to go home."

Astero followed closely behind her. “Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow Wake.” He smiled, moving out of the room, and down the hall.

“Wait, home?” He asked, looking at the back of them confused.

“Later Wake!” Astero called back.

Magdiana grabbed Astero's key, and handed it to Raze. "We won't be strangers." She winked at the tiefling as she picked up her bags, walking towards the door with Astero beside her. "Let's head home." She said happily.

"Wait, wait." Raze called out to the pair as the door shut behind them. She turned to Wake. "Since when did they have enough gold to move out?"

“I thought you would know! I’m never around to find out these things.” He sighed, looking at her. “Those two really are a power couple.” He chuckled.

"They were not here last night, but I assumed he was staying at her place again. He did have a very full pack with him yesterday morning, though." She pursed her lips together in thought. "And, I do believe I heard them talking about adventuring once. Maybe, they did earn enough. I have heard stranger things."

Wake furrowed his brow a bit. “Even still, that is an impressive amount of money to get in such a short amount of time.” He commented. “It was probably Magdiana who got most of it. Her work is good.” He nodded.

Raze frowned sorrowfully. "How am I going to get my daily dose of drama, now? Where did they go?!"

Wake walked up to Raze, and gave her a hug. “I am sure you will find a juicy new thing to sink your teeth into.” He smirked at her.

"But, they were so entertaining. Dancing around each other at every turn, and, then, trying to hide their relationship. And, they are both still trying to solve that mystery. I will not find anything quite like that again." She complained.

“You need a different hobby.” He chuckled at her, giving her a small kiss. “I am sure you will see them around, and I can always get some information when I get back.” He smiled.

She nudged him in the chest with her hand. "Unlike you, I have a job where I cannot get around as much."

“You could always hire a helper. Gods know we have the coin.” He told her seriously.

"I couldn't do that. My spouse spends obscene amounts of money to purchase poison he doesn't need." She laughed.

He shook his head a bit. “You just don’t like the idea of people doing your work. You think they will royally fuck up.” He replied.

"Yes. I have a reputation to uphold." She told him. "Besides, I have to have things to do while you're away."

“And, if you had a helper, you could do more and gossip about your favorite couple.” He said nudging her playfully in return.

"I do not share gossip. You know this." She deadpanned. "What is this about you fighting again tomorrow?"

“I swear you have ears all over this place.” He shuddered a bit. “They need the training, and I don't mind helping them. Actually, I might be the best one to help them. I can’t see anyone else giving them a fair fight.” He explained.

She hummed. "You were not being quiet. Thank you for helping them. I get the feeling they will need it."

“They don’t realize it yet, but they will.” He told her.

Raze made a face. "I do not think I want to know why."

“Not really.” He replied, giving her a little hug. “Don’t worry, if all goes right, they will be absolute monsters.” He grinned.

"They are already formidable." She frowned.

“And, they still have a ways to go.” He told her. “Don’t worry, they will be fine, I will make sure your best story stays in one piece.”

She kissed him. "You are the best."

“Thank you, I try.” He said kissing her back.

Out on the street, Magdiana sneezed. "Excuse me." She sniffled.

“You’re excused.” Astero told her, holding her hand, and walking towards the house with bags in tow.

"They say that, when you sneeze, people are talking about you." Magdiana laughed. "If you believe that old wives tale."

“That is a load of crap.” He said with a wave. “It is spring, probably just pollen in the air.” He told her.

"Ugh. Lavenders probably grow wild here." She complained.

“Probably. You do have the stuff on you in case you get bad, right?” He asked her seriously.

She nodded. "Of course. Besides, I will be working inside most of the time."

“Okay. Good. Still don’t want you dying on me.” He replied, looking at her shyly.

She giggled. "It's not that type of allergy. It's just really uncomfortable."

“Still don't want you feeling bad.” He told her. “I know how bad allergies are.”

"I'm sure you'll nurse me to health if I start feeling gross." She smiled at him.

He smiled back. “Yes, I will. As long as it takes.”

"And, I will take care of you if you eat peanuts." She told him honestly, taking her key out of her pocket as they neared their front door.

“I would like a pb&j sandwich.” He joked.

"Soon." She told him confidently. "I think that I'll be able to cast more powerful cleric spells soon. Maybe, the training with Wake will make me strong enough."

“I'm hoping.” He said as he walked behind her into the house. “That way, we'll be able to last longer against Wake.”

She nodded. "Yeah, we both need to get stronger. And fast. Wake hurts."

“Yeah, he does.” He grimaced. “I don’t recommend getting thrown off ships.” He complained, setting the things down on the counter top.

She started offloading things as well. "Yeah, I can only imagine."

He started putting a few things away before he turned to her. “When are we going swimming? He asked her, realizing they never actually did do that.

"Not going to lie. I would be so down whenever. Maybe tonight?" She asked.

“That's fine by me. It will help us cool off.” He nodded, putting a few of the food items on the counter for later.

She started to put the cold foodstuffs away. "I don't have a swimsuit. Hope you don't mind either me wearing a shirt and underwear or nothing."

“Not at all.” He smiled at her.

"Good." She told him, grabbing her bag of chemistry supplies, and retreating into the basement, using the password to open the door.

Astero watched her disappear into the chimney, and started to do a bit of prep work for the dinner tonight. He wanted to make sure her parents and brother had the best meal of their lives. He knew Jacob would be an issue when it came to the veggies, so he cut up several pieces of bacon, and quickly cooked them, leaving plenty for lunch and snacks. Once it was done cooking, he wrapped up the baked potatoes with a few seasonings, and set them aside for later.

Magdiana eventually returned with just bags, and closed the secret door. "I am all set for second day. Should be good to go for awhile. I have three workstations back there, so things can distill simultaneously."

“Nice.” He smiled at her. “You will have enough poison to kill a small village in no time.” He joked as he sat on the couch.

"I'm just going to say, 'not my problem'. Money. Better schedule. I'm happy." She sat next to him.

He put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. “I'm happy that you are happy.” He smiled at her.

She kissed his cheek. "I love you. Now, when should we go to my parent's place? I need stuff, and don't remember telling my parents where our house was."

He looked at the clock for a second. “Probably soon. We still need to get a few things for the house, and I have only prepped a few things for dinner. Still need to actually cook the baked potatoes and steaks.” He explained to her.

She leaned into him, and closed her eyes. "Mmm. Okay. I'm ready whenever you are."

He smiled, and leaned into her. “After lunch. I want to eat first.”

"Mmm. Food." She hummed.

“How do BLT’s sound?” He asked her.

"You had me at 'b'." She deadpanned.

“Then food is coming right up.” He smiled at her, standing up, and quickly making two sandwiches. He brought them back with him, and sat down next to Magdiana, handing her the sandwich. “Enjoy.”

She dug into her meal with gusto only pausing long enough to tell him. "You're going to make me fat. Also, I am in love with you."

“I am not going to make you fat. And, I love you, too.” He responded, leaning in to kiss her, and licking a bit of mayo from her lip.

"He says to me as he eats mayonnaise off of me." She giggled. "We are going to either gain weight together or have to work it off together. I elect to work it off."

“I would rather work it off, and it’s not my fault you like to inhale your food.” He chuckled at her, taking a bite of his sandwich.

She nodded. "I like food, and my parents in Yutan never stopped me. Kinda hard to unlearn."

“Challenge accepted.” He smirked at her. “I will make you learn to savor your food.” He vowed, taking another bite, and enjoying the flavors. “I bet you don’t even know what I added to it. Do you?’ He asked curiously.

"Cheese?" She asked.

“Nope.” He said shaking his head. “No cheese.”

She frowned. "I have no fucking clue."

He chuckled. “It was a bit of mustard.” He said simply. “It was subtle, but, if you slowed down, you would notice it.”

"That is going to take some doing on your part. I don't even know how to slow down." She looked sad. "Why am I so fucked up?"

“Hey.” He whispered gently, nudging her. “Yutan messed us both up. We just need to work on fixing one another. That's all.” He told her, looking at her intently.

"I feel like I'm more screwed up than you are. Either that, or you fake it super well." She eyed him wearily. "I'm sorry."

“Don’t be.” He told her. “I'm good at hiding it. I am constantly on edge, and it takes me forever to actually calm down.”

She thought about that. "Huh. I haven't noticed. I know that my first reaction to being woken up in any unnatural way is to stab first and ask questions later, but I never noticed anything like that for you."

“I am always looking out and watching for someone who is about to strike. I can’t tell you how often I find myself about to throw a knife at someone just because they're stretching or something equally mundane.” He sighed, looking at his sandwich oddly now.

"Huh." She thought about that quietly for a long while. "Maybe- maybe it would help if we're disarmed at home? It would put a damper on those reactions, I guess."

He nodded his head. “I like not having to worry about the weapons.” He explained. “I don’t want to be the same Astero that grew up in Yutan. Here I can be different. Normal.”

She laughed, feeling a little manic. "I don't feel normal, but we should try. It's different here. We should try to be too."

“Exactly. We were their weapons in Yutan. Here, we can be whatever we want.” He said, sitting back and stretching a bit. “I vote for people who just blend into the crowd. I don’t want to be famous.”

"I do want to adventure more, though, and that comes with an eventual level of notoriety. Is that still okay with you?" She asked him seriously.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I just don’t want to be world renowned.” He chuckled.

"Oh, hell no. Not happening." She laughed. "Rogues aren't famous. Ever."

“And, if they are, they are doing something VERY wrong.” He laughed.

She laughed "Incredibly wrong. Unless you're Mask. Oh." She suddenly grew quiet.

“I think he gets a pass. You know being a god and all.” He chuckled.

"I can totally see it, now, though." She told him. "A rogue adventurer that got too famous and just rolled with it, gaining power until the fame didn't matter anymore."

He nodded. “Not too bad, and I think it would be pretty smart. Could have been anyone, really. Especially with a mask, and all.” He smiled at her. “Hells, you could do it.”

"As, I don't know if gods are supposed to get power from other gods. I'm a cleric." She tried to stop his train of thought.

“Okay. Fine." He said, sitting back on the couch. “Just having a bit of fun, is all.”

"You, however, could definitely be a god. Your power is your own." She told him, running her fingers through his hair.

“I don’t want to be a god. That is way too much power.” He told her, closing his eyes a bit as he felt her fingers.

She kissed him as his eyes closed. "Let's not have either of us do that, then. Besides, I don't want to lose you to having to go save the world or something." She joked.

He smiled, and looked at her. “Yeah, the world would be too boring without you here.”

"You are welcome to call me goddess, if you'd like." She giggled.

“But, you are a goddess. To me, at least.” He smiled at her.

"Thank you." She kissed him. "My god among men."

He kissed her back softly, and stood up. “Thank you.” He smiled at her, holding out a hand. “Now, let’s go get the things from your parent's house.”

"Let's." She said, grabbing his hand, and standing. "Gods, I'm nervous."

“About what?” He asked her.

"To see my parents after the conversation we had last night." She suddenly turned bright red. "They probably think we had sex last night. I mean, we did, but-"

“Yes, several times.” He added. “I get what you mean. I wouldn’t be too worried. They wanted to see you more, and the fact that we are going to see them is a good thing.” He told her. “So, stop blushing, and calm down.” He told her, rubbing her hand.

"I'm not mentally prepared to potentially hear sex jokes and commentary from my parents." She whispered, trying to breathe and calm down.

He rubbed her back a bit, and looked at her. “You will be fine. If you can take down four guys by yourself in combat, some jokes will be nothing. Besides, Jacob will be there. I doubt that your parents will say anything like that around him.”

"I sure hope so." She breathed once more, locking the door behind them. "Not going to lie, I'm not going to miss the long ass daily walk to and from their house."

“Yeah. I was almost dreading the walk to their house before you arrived.” He replied honestly.

"It'll be much more infrequent now." She assured him. "Or even just me sometimes."

“I figured as much. You will probably be going over there when your work is done, and will meet me back at the house when I get off of work.” He shrugged slightly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm actually looking forward to doing lunch with my Mom sometimes. She doesn't really work."

He smiled at her. “That's nice, and you do know a good place for lunch.”

"I wonder where that could be." She played.

“Just look for the place that has the sexy chef.” He smirked.

"If I even knew any halfway decent alternatives in town, I would continue to tease you." She laughed. "You know where I'll be going."

“I would be impressed if you did. The selection around here is bland considering the area.” He said, looking around the street.

She nudged him. "When you put them out of business, it'll start changing. Competition and all that."

“That will be a while.” He chuckled. “The shop is only just getting a bit more business. It will be years before we are that good.”

She kissed him. "I believe in you."

“Thank you.” He smiled into the kiss. “I'm glad someone does.”

"If you ever need a pep talk, you know who to come to." She told him. "I've got you. Besides, I can be very motivational." She waggled her eyebrows.

He smirked back at her. “I know. Your pep talks are very enthralling.”

"I can always give you verbal affirmations. Gods, I'm running out of vocabulary for this." She chuckled.

“And, if you ever need a pep talk, you know I am very good at languages.” He giggled.

"I would love for you to be my language tutor." She whispered to him in a sultry tone, using elvish.

He shuddered a bit. “Okay. We need to stop before we just start taking one another in an alleyway.” He replied back in elvish.

"That's so not happening." She told him firmly. "So not into public anything."

“Good to know because that was getting me a little too hard.” He whispered to her.

"Sorry." She told him sweetly. "Later. While we're swimming."

“Yes, please.” He smiled at her.

"Can't say I've ever done that." She told him. "Way too fucking cold in Yutan."

“Neither have I.” He told her honestly. “Didn’t want to freeze bits off.”

She giggled. "Or tits off."

“Not the jibblies!” He said in mock horror.

She buried her face into his shoulder as she laughed, blushing impressively. "Okay. I need a subject change." She said as they started to walk out of the town proper.

“Okay, then. How about dinner?” He asked her. “Steak and baked potatoes.”

"How do you like your steak?" She asked seriously. "It's not a deal breaker for me, but there may be some harassment if you like it well done."

“I am not a heathen.” He told her. “Medium rare. That is my preference.”

She nodded. "Good man. Although, I admit, I like it rare. I also won't complain if it's med rare or medium just so long as it's not chewy and dry."

“Agreed. I can deal with chewy, but dry is a no-no. Thankfully, I know how to make steaks. Be warned, though. They're good.” He told her seriously.

"Oh, woe is me. My boyfriend cooks delicious food. However will I survive?" She bemoaned.

“It is a blessing, and a curse.” He said, sounding dismayed.

She looked over at him just admiring him for a moment. "How did I get so lucky?" She whispered, flabbergasted.

He looked back at her in a similar manner. “I don’t know, but I keep asking myself the same thing every day.” He smiled at her.

She saw that they were nearing her parents house, and, when they got close to the door, she cast a spell on Astero to protect him. "There. They will have trouble hitting you now." She told him, knocking.

“Why would they hit me?” He asked her seriously as the door opened a moment later. “Hello.” He said to Eri.

"Astero." The woman said in a calm and cool tone. "I see you were able to buy the house sooner rather than later."

“Well, yes. Fortune favors the bold and all that.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck a bit.

Magdiana looked between the pair. "We came to get my things and walk there with you. I'm sure that my directions yesterday left a lot to be desired."

"Mag!" Jacob ran to the door, grabbing his sister's hand. "I have got to show you what I just learned." He announced, dragging her off around the house.

Eri smirked, eyeing at a now nervous looking Astero. "It was less than two tenday." Eri said quietly.

“I know.” He replied quietly back. “We weren't expecting to get as much as we did.”

"Please try to take the next steps slower. I'm not ready for them." She sighed lightly. Then, looking more seriously at him. "I'm afraid Mag is going to accidentally marry you two, if you're not careful."

“We don’t want that yet.” He told her seriously. “We're in no rush. The house was one thing, but marriage so soon- I would rather wait a year or so before we do that.”

Eri nodded. "Just be careful. Her spellcasting is different than yours. It's about intent, and, if you're both willing to get married, it's a possibility." She quietly explained, trailing off to punctuate her meaning.

“I understand. Make sure we are both fully ready, otherwise, accidental marriage.” He said back to her.

"If it gets serious, please just ask, and we'll plan a small ceremony. I'd like to be there for this one thing, if I can." She wiped the corner of an eye, looking away.

“I promise you, when the time comes, you will be the first to know.” He said putting a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want you guys to have anymore surprises.”

Eri nodded. "Come inside. They're going to be busy for awhile. Jacob," she laughed, unable to finish her sentence.

“Let me guess. He stuck some more daggers into the target?” He chuckled, following her inside.

Eri started laughing harder. "No."

Astero raised an eyebrow, and was starting to chuckle. “What did he do?”

"We have another caster in the family, and he got Marius, too." She almost fell over laughing. "That's both of them now."

Astero started laughing. “I am sorry for the shenanigans that ensue.” He said, holding himself up against a wall.

"At least, it happened before he hit puberty. Thank Corellon." She took a deep breath. "As for shenanigans, I'm honestly not surprised. He's been hoping and praying to be a fighter like us for years."

“Well, at least, you know he's faithful.” He smiled. “Now, it will be interesting to see when he smites.”

She chuckled again. "That was the first thing he did."

Astero chuckled, and, then, sighed a bit. “I hope he doesn’t smite in the house.”

"Don't worry. I have mending." She waved a hand. "Needless to say, he's been going crazy trying to figure out if he's a cleric or paladin since it happened yesterday. And, of course, he wants to do nothing but smite. Asked him to try to heal his father. Zero interest." She laughed again.

He chuckled heartily. “Oh, I feel bad for Marius, then. I'm sorry for your house.” He told her. “At least, you can teach him while he is young.” He smiled.

"Yeah. My guess is that Corellon didn't want to be outdone by Mask, but," she shrugged, "I have nothing to prove that."

From outside, Magdiana and Jacob burst in through the door. "Jacob can cast!" Magdiana enthused loudly.

“Yes.” Astero replied. “I heard.” He smiled at Eri.

"Jacob, go get cleaned up. We're going to dinner at Magdiana's and Astero's house tonight." She told him, shooing the boy off for a few minutes.

"Okay!" He called out, running down the hallway. "Dad!" He yelled. "Mag's here."

“I'm coming!” Marius yelled back, coming down the stairs a few minutes later. “Hey, you guys. How are you doing?” He asked Magdiana and Astero.

Magdiana smiled. "Honestly, starting to get excited to start my new job."

“That’s good.” Marius smiled. “I’m sure you will do great.”

"Thanks." She told him, looking at Astero briefly. "I'll be right back. I've got to pack."

Astero smiled at her, and looked to Marius. “So, I heard Jacob learned how to smite. Sorry to hear that.” He chuckled.

“Yeah. It was a very interesting learning experience.” He sighed a bit.

“I bet. So, what happened? Regular training, and, then, bam, smite?” Astero asked.

Marius nodded. “Yeah, basically. Almost dislocated my shoulder when he did that.” He complained, stretching his shoulder.

Eri held back a giggle. "Do you need me to regenerate you again, old man?"

Marius shook his head. “No. I will be fine. Just wasn’t expecting it so soon.” He said honestly.

"I'm telling you, Corellon got jealous." She said conspiratorially.

“And, Mask loves to play tricks. If this isn’t a trick, I don’t know what is.” He replied back.

“Well,” Astero chimed in, “you could always just ask him.”

Eri eyed Astero for a minute. "Corellon or Jacob?"

“Jacob.” Astero said simply. “Maybe, he had a dream or something. I bet he could describe something.” He shrugged.

"Why did it take you asking that question for me to realize that I can just Divine Intervention and ask Corellon myself?" Eri asked, pausing for a minute. "No, that's cheating. I'll wait for Jacob to figure it out."

Astero shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought it would be the best way to find out.”

Magdiana walked back into the room with a full pack. "I missed something." She said quietly.

“Your parents are arguing about which one of their gods is giving Jacob powers.” Astero chuckled.

Magdiana looked between the pair, and laughed a bit. "Oh, this is good."

Marius looked at Astero, and, then, to Magdiana. “It has to be Mask.” He said resolutely.

"It's Corellon, dear." Eri said resolutely.

Magdiana rolled her eyes. "Hey, Jacob?!"

The boy came running around the corner, and jumped right in front of her. "Yeah?"

"Have you had any dreams lately? When I got my powers, I started having dreams." She asked him seriously.

"Just one." He held up a finger.

She nodded. "What happened?"

“Well, I was walking through a big building, and there was a lot of art and paintings on the wall. I didn't really care about those, but, at the end of the building, there were a whole bunch of weapons! I played with them, and it was fun!” He explained rapidly with a huge smile.

Eri smiled widely before looking to Marius. She didn't say a word. She just raised her eyebrows.

Marius sighed, looking over at the smug look on his wife's face. “Don’t say a word.” He told her.

Eri nodded, starting to walk towards the door slowly. When she got there, she held it open for everybody, waiting until Marius was close, and she whispered. "I told you so."

Marius made a face, and grunted. “I am never going to hear the end of this.” He sighed walking out the door.

"What? Our daughter follows your god. Our son follows mine. Besides, he's probably a paladin." She shrugged.

“Maybe.” He replied. “You are a cleric, but you hit like an owlbear.” He told her.

Eri pointed to Magdiana. "She healed for her first spell." She pointed to Jacob. "He smited. Sounds like two different types of fighters to me."

He shook his head a bit. “Yeah. At least, he will be able to heal if he decides to.” He chuckled.

Magdiana laughed from nearby. "This is hilarious, and good luck with that. I'd put gold on him only healing himself for a solid year."

“I’ll take that bet.” Astero smiled at Magdiana. “50 gold?” He asked extending his hand.

She laughed. "Well, as long as I don't have to pay it right away. I just spent all my coin on getting ready to work from home."

“Well, no duh. That's fine. I know you're good for it.” He smiled at her.

"Deal." She told him, taking his hand. "Shit. What day is it? Gotta mark it down."

“The 13th.” He told her.

She thought about it. "When did the month even change?" She laughed.

“Last week.” he laughed. “We were both really busy.”

"Sweet Mask, my schedule is screwed up." She mumbled.

“It’s okay. We have had a crazy few weeks.” He chuckled.

She nodded. "Our entire lives changed this past month."

“Yeah, in more ways than one.” He sighed.

She grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. "I wouldn't change a minute of it." She said quietly in elvish, forgetting that her parents were also half-elves.

“Neither would I.” Astero replied back in elvish.

Marius looked at the two of them, and called out in elvish. “You two are adorable.”

Magdiana turned her head suddenly connecting the dots. "Oh, I'm an idiot."

"An adorable idiot." Eri laughed next to Marius.

"What did you guys say?" Jacob asked. "I don't know all those words."

Astero looked to Jacob. “We were saying we like each other very much.” He chuckled.

Jacob covered his slightly pointed ears. "Gross!"

“Trust me, buddy. One day, you will find someone.” Astero laughed at the young boy.

"Lalalalalalala. I'm not listening." He hummed, ears still covered.

“You goof.” He said, rubbing his head.

"Calm down, Jacob." Eri snapped a bit. She was looking around, noticing their surroundings. One of her blonde eyebrows was raised. "This is the upper district. Did we take a wrong turn?"

Astero looked back at her, and shook his head. “No, we're in the right place.” He told her, continuing to walk in the direction of the house.

Eri looked to Marius, sharing a silent stare the communicated something to the tune of, 'Is he joking?'.

Marius looked at Eri and, then, at Astero. “So, it must be a pretty small place then, if it is around here? Right?” He asked as they passed a large several story house.

Magdiana shrugged. "It's two stories. Not super grand, but we bought it for a steal."

“Uh, okay.” Marius hummed, looking at Eri thoroughly confused.

Eri looked between the couple, feeling Marius's confusion. "What did you two do to get so much coin? I thought you both just worked at the shops."

Astero looked to Mag, and back at Eri. “Well, we took an adventuring job that paid pretty well. We took care of it pretty easily.” He told them honestly. He didn't want to go much further into the details.

Magdiana turned to look at her parents, walking backwards. "It was legitimately purchased, if that's what you're worried about."

“Well, that was one of the things, yes, but just how much did you get the place for?” Marius asked as they were now walking towards their house.

Magdiana looked at Astero. "I wasn't there for the proceedings, so I don't know the exact number."

Astero looked to Mag, and, then, to her parents. “It was just over two thousand gold, but we put twelve hundred down.” He mumbled quickly opening the door and letting everyone in.

Eri's eyes looked like they might bug out of her head. "Twelve hundred gold!"

Marius spouted incoherent words as he tried to process just how they got the house for such a low price. “How!?”

"There were reports a few weeks ago that the house had suspected cult activity going on in it." Magdiana told him honestly, omitting the fact that it wasn't cult activity, and that they had done the checking.

“Well, that would drop the price a bit yeah, but that is several times less than what it should be.” Marius said, doing some quick math in his head.

Magdiana looked to Astero for rescue. She didn't know how else to explain this to her parents. She hadn't quite expected this reaction.

Astero sighed, and looked to her parents. “Okay. I had help getting it. The lady who sold me the house knew me from Yutan. She cut me a really good deal that I just couldn’t refuse.” He said somewhat honestly not wanting them to know his brother was involved.

"I guess, it's a small world." Eri said, looking around. "Wow, this is-" She shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.

Marius looked around. “Yeah, you really did get a good deal.” He said shaking his head in disbelief.

Jacob was practically bouncing up and down. "I wanna see more!"

Astero turned to Mag. “You show him around, I will get started on dinner.” He said walking to the kitchen.

"I'll show them all around." She smiled, starting to give them the tour. She showed them all around, bringing them back around to the kitchen. "And, of course, the back yard is through there, but there's not much to see yet. I haven't started the garden."

Marius looked around at the back yard. “Well, if you ever need help, Eri has a green thumb for that stuff.” He chuckled at her.

"I was hoping to get help eventually. I only know how to grow in greenhouses. I've never really grown in a climate like this." She admitted.

"I would love to help." Eri smiled. "I'm sure it'll take some serious adjustments for you."

Magdiana nodded. "Definitely. Do you need help, As?"

Astero looked back, and shook his head a bit. “Not really. This isn’t that difficult of a task.” He chuckled. “How does everyone like their steaks?” He asked the group.

"Medium." Eri responded quickly. "I normally cook Jacob's medium well."

“Rare for me.” Marius replied. “I like to see it bleed.” he smiled.

Astero nodded. “Can do!”

"Can I try mine like Dad's?" Jacob asked.

Marius looked to Jacob seriously. “You probably won't like it that way, but the way your mother likes hers might be better.” He said looking to Eri.

"Two mediums, I suppose." Eri corrected.

Astreo nodded. “Can do, it will be a few minutes. Just waiting on the baked potatoes to cook a bit more.” He explained, cutting up some seasonings.

"Can I get you all something to drink? Water, milk, juice? I'm afraid I don't have anything stronger." Magdiana offered.

“Juice please!” Jacob smiled.

Marius looked to mag. “Water is fine for me.” He smiled.

"Water is fine." Eri laughed, watching Magdiana play hostess.

Magdiana started to get glasses and utensils, setting the table, and walking to Astero when she'd finished. "What would you like to drink?"

“Juice, please.” He smiled at her.

Magdiana grabbed two more cups of juice, bringing them over to the table, and sitting down. "You all should feel lucky that you won't be around to hear me complaining about dishes later."

“Yeah, I get to deal with that.” Astero chuckled, placing the first steak in the pan, and a resounding sizzle was heard.

"It is the one chore that I dread." She responded honestly.

Marius smiled at his daughter. “Don’t worry. So do I.”

"He once tried to convince me to cast Heroes Feast in lieu of cooking a normal meal that would require dishes." Eri laughed.

“It was a good plan.” Marius replied. “Fills us up, and has great benefits.”

"One thousand gold." Eri gestured one hand. "Two silver." She gestured the other hand.

Magdiana laughed. "Wait. You'd rather pay one thousand gold than do dishes? That's dedication."

“I really don’t like dishes.” Marius said simply.

Magdiana hugged her father. "It's really nice to know where some of my quirks come from."

“You’re very welcome.” He said, hugging her back.

"Do either of you hate spicy food or is it just me?" She asked.

"Guilty." Eri raised a hand. "Well, sort of. I ate steak and eggs with hot sauce when I was pregnant with you. You didn't like it."

Astero walked over with the food. “Oh, she did. Steak and eggs are her favorite meal.” He chuckled, handing each one their plate.

"Steak and eggs is my favorite too. Sorry about the hot sauce, Mag." She laughed, looking at, and smelling the food. "Oh, yum."

“Oh, this looks lovely Astero.” Marius complimented looking at the food with want.

“Well, please help yourself.” Astero smiled.

Remembering their conversation from earlier, Magdiana slowly cut her food, taking a bite. "Mmm." She sighed. "Oh, it's delicious."

Eri started to cut into her meal, seeing that Jacob had his knife well in hand. When she took a bite, she started to eat little bits of everything to prove that it was all just as tasty. "Is everything you cook this ridiculously good?!" She complained.

“Well, not always this good. I did go a bit all out for you guys.” Astero admitted.

Marius took a bite of his steak, and sighed as it melted in his mouth. “Please, move in with us.”

“Only if you do the dishes.” Astero quickly replied.

Marius looked at Astero and, then, to the steak. “I am tempted.” He replied honestly taking another bite.

"Please, no. If I have to move again, I'm cutting someone." Magdiana deadpanned.

“Fine.” Marius grumbled. “But, expect us over a lot more.” He smiled, taking another bite of steak.

"Just let me know when you'd like to visit, and we'll try to accommodate. There are times that even Astero doesn't want to cook." She told them honestly.

Astero nodded. “Yeah, if it is a busy day. Sorry. It ain’t happening.” He smiled.

“Well, Hells.” Marius grumbled. “I guess, it will have to be a treat, then.” He sighed.

"I am able to cook. Just not with the same skill that Astero can." Magdiana told him. "If you are really looking for a Mag fix, you can just let me cook."

Marius smiled. “That would be nice.”

Magdiana took another couple of bites, realizing she was eating too quickly again. She looked to Astero, and saw that he was watching her. She smiled him. "We know how to make Mom real quiet."

“Yes, we do.” Astero smiled back, looking to Eri. “You must be enjoying it.”

"I have no appropriate around children words for this experience." Eri told him honestly.

“I will take that as a yes.” Astero smiled.

Eri nodded. "It's amazing."

Magdiana laughed at her mother. "I would make fun of you, but I'm pretty sure that your reaction is the same as my own.

Marius smiled. “Either hitting or the look of death.” He told Mag.

"Yep." Eri pointed at her eyes, and, then, at Magdiana's. "I've got my eyes on you."

"You do not scare me that badly." Magdiana responded. "But, your killing intent is noted."

“Yeah, I can see where she gets that look.“ Astero smiled.

Magdiana looked at Astero. "Hey!"

“Yep, there it is.” He chuckled.

"Do not give me that patronizing 'that's cute' face." Magdiana huffed.

“I can’t help it if it’s true.” He said honestly.

Magdiana opened and closed her mouth multiple times, sputtering as Eri looked to Marius. "Were we ever this cute?" She winked.

Marius smiled. “I like to think we were.” He chuckled.

Magdiana looked between them. "Now, I'm being patronized by them too."

“We are not patronizing you.” Marius told her. “We are jealous of how adorable you two are.”

"I don't feel like we're that cute. We make a habit of stabbing each other once a week." She looked to Astero. "Help."

“We don’t try to be that cute. We honestly don’t get to see that much of each other, so you might just be seeing us spending time together?” He said, hoping that would help.

Eri gestured with her fork. "It doesn't matter how you argue. I think it's cute."

Astero sighed. “Still not seeing it.” He replied, finishing the last few bits of his food, and taking his plate to the kitchen.

Magdiana took another bite, realizing she was full. She looked sadly at her plate. "But, I want to finish." She complained out loud to her stomach.

Astero looked back at her. “You can save the rest for tomorrow's breakfast. Steak and eggs.” he told her.

"Mmm!" She exclaimed. "I love you."

“I love you, too.” He smiled back before pausing for a moment. “Okay, now I see the cuteness.” He said to himself.

"Don't let them get to you too." She told him.

“I'm sorry Mag, but it’s true. We are adorable.” He told her sadly.

She laid her head down on the table. "Fine." She whined. "My badass reputation has been ruined."

Astero walked back over to Magdiana, and leaned down to give her a small kiss. "You're still a badass to me." He told her.

"Eww!" Jacob said, grossed out by the affection.

Marius looked at Jacob, and smiled. "Calm down. It's their house. They can do what they want."

Jacob sighed, and began to play with the few remains of his food. "Okay." He said clearly full.

Eri smiled at Jacob. "Well, someone clearly enjoyed it."

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. It was really good." He smiled

"Well, I am glad you enjoyed it, buddy." Astero smiled back.

“You're welcome.” Jacob said, letting out a small yawn.

Eri smiled at Jacob. “Well, it looks like someone is ready for bed.” She chuckled.

Marius walked over to Jacob, and picked him in his arms. “I think, we will start heading out.” He murmured quietly as Jacob lightly dosed.

“Night, Jacob.” Magdiana smiled at her brother.

“Night, buddy.” Astero smiled at him.

Eri stood up, and gave Magdiana and Astero a hug. “Well, thank you for the lovely dinner.” She smiled at Astero. “It was nice to not have to cook, for once.”

“No problem, I am glad you liked it.” Astero smiled.

"You guys have a great night. I'll see you soon." Magdiana smiled, hugging her mother, and stealing a side hug from her father.

“Will do. Have a good night.” Marius whispered to her low enough to not wake Jacob.

Eri nodded. "Don't forget to practice your spells. Night."

Magdiana tried not to roll her eyes. Of course, her mother would be concerned about her spells. She quietly shut the door, leaning on it once it was locked. "Thank the gods we're alone, now."

Astero nodded, and sat down with a sigh. “I thought I was going to have a heart attack when they started asking questions about the house.”

"Same here. That was nerve wrecking." She told him. "Thank you for coming up with that cover story."

He waved her off a bit. “Don't worry. It was only 95 percent of the truth.” He chuckled.

"Still, you are amazing." She thanked him with a kiss. "Are you still up for swimming? We have that spar against Wake tomorrow."

“Yeah, I am down. I need to relax. As much as I like your parents, that was stressful.” He smiled at her.

She waved a hand. "You say that as if I'm going to be insulted. I'm not. You need anything or are we good?"

“I don’t need anything.” He told her. “I am ready whenever you are.”

She ran upstairs quickly, and returned wearing one of his shirts. "I'm good to go now." She smirked.

He smirked. “Well, then, let's go swimming.” He smiled, standing up, and grabbing her hand.

"Actual swimming. Not the accidental kind that takes your breath away." She smiled, opening the door again.

“I don’t intend on that happening.” He told her honestly. “Let’s just relax with a swim.”

"And, maybe, other activities." She giggled.

“What was that about taking breath away?” He smirked at her.

She laughed, nudging him with a shoulder. "I did not intend to do that underwater. Just in it."

“Okay. That, I can work with.” He laughed.

"What was going on in that beautiful head of yours, Astero? Dreams of drowning in pussy?" She deadpanned.

“No. Nothing like that.” He chuckled. “Just my brain being silly.”

She eyed him for a minute. "Great. Now, I'm curious, and you're not going to say anything."

“It was just the idea of water gently washing over you as we made love.” He told her. “My head has thoughts.”

"And, here I was, just excited that we could be in sort of low gravity." She smiled. "And, it's okay. I like what's in your head."

“Well, thank you. And, what did you mean by ‘low gravity’?” He asked her.

She laughed. "Well, you're kinda weightless in water. Could get a bit acrobatic."

He smiled. “We could always give it a try.”

"Where are we going anyway?" She asked him as they walked. "Obviously not the docks."

“Not the docks.” He chuckled. “There is a place not to far away. It's a nice quiet beach.”

She nodded and smiled. "Someone went exploring."

“Maybe.” He smirked. “I had some time after I bought the house, so I looked around a bit.”

"You're amazing." She told him. "Thank you for everything you do."

“Thank you for being here with me.” He replied, giving her a kiss. “It's nice to have you next to me.”

She leaned into him. "This is nice. Just being near you. You could stop time, and I would be happy."

“So would I.” He whispered to her.

"Hey, if I drown today, please bring me back." She laughed.

“You are lucky i know mouth to mouth.” He laughed back.

"You should give me mouth to mouth regardless." She giggled.

He smirked at her. “Oh, I will.” He huskily replied.

She let go of his hand, and reached down to grab his butt. "Whoops."

He stumbled a bit, and grabbed her butt in response. “Wow, they really need to work on these roads.”

"Huh. The road seems fine to me." She smirked.

“Guess I just slipped then.” He smiled, pulling her close to him.

She leaned into him. "I love you."

“I love you.” He whispered to her.

"Are we there yet?" She asked impatiently.

“Almost. Just need to go a bit more.” He told her, leading her off of the road, and down a small trail that lead towards the ocean. After a minute, the trail opened up into a small beach. “Here we are.” He said with a wave.

She gaped at the beauty of the scene. "Oh, wow, Astero."

“Yeah. I thought you would like it.” He smiled at her as he walked towards the water.

"This is- this is beautiful." She smiled at him.

“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled back. “Now, come into the water. It's so nice.” He sighed as he walked a few feet into the water.

She removed her boots, tossing them to the side, and wading into the water next to him. "I probably should've just taken my pants off while I was dry. I have regrets."

Astero looked at her, and waved his fingers. “I have prestidigitation. I can dry them.” He chuckled, splashing some water at her.

"Well, then. Make me wet." She played with a wink.

He walked up to her, and gave her a long kiss before spinning her around and pushing her into the water. “Wet enough?” He smirked.

"Well, I was meaning the other thing, but you're technically not wrong." She laughed, wiping wet hair out of her face.

“I figured as much. I just wanted to see you wet all over, first.” He smiled, laying on his back, and floating on the water. “This is nice.”

She tried to float next to him. "Shit. Daggers too heavy." She grumbled, standing up.

“Like I keep saying, sometimes less is more.” He chuckled, watched her walk to the beach.

"I can't dismiss my weapons into a pocket dimension." She reminded him.

“I can't dismiss my weapons.” He said looking at her intently. “I can only summon them to me.”

She shrugged. "That's what I meant. I still haven't figured that whole shtick out."

“Well, for me, I do a ritual. It takes me an hour, and, then, the weapon is bound to me.” He explained. “You should focus on cleric stuff first, though. Get that figured out before you add arcane magic on top of it.”

"Yeah, let me figure out what I can do before I dip further into the magicky bullshit." She smiled as the last daggers and her pants came off. "Meanwhile, I will learn the more fighter stuff."

“I’m going to give you fighter stuff.” He smirked at her.

She eyed him as she splashed back into the water. "Is that double entendre? Or am I just horny?"

“Maybe, both.” He replied, eyeing her in return.

She looked at him, and laughed, deciding to mess with him a bit. "This was a great idea. I love swimming. Definitely not the other thing. I don't know what I was thinking."

He shook his head at her. “Of course, you do.” He said, walking up to her, and gingerly grabbing her hand. “Then, lets go swim.”

"Sure." She said, taking her hand, and running through the surf away from him. "If you can catch me."

He shook his head with a smile, and began to chase after her. “Oh, I will. You know I will.” He smiled gaining ground.

She looked back, and saw him giving chase. She could be faster, if she wanted to, but she wanted to be caught. So, when she thought she was a good distance away, she took a breath, and dove into the water, hiding beneath the water as she swam away.

He ran for a little longer before he dived into the water after her. He looked around, and couldn't see her. It was too dark, and his eyes were normal, after all. So, he went back to the surface, and waited for her to surface.

A minute later, Magdiana's head popped up, and she tried to take a silent breath of air. It might as well have been a whale breaching the waves for how quiet it was. "Fuck." She muttered as Astero turned to find her. He was a bit too close for comfort. She tried to back up, but the water slowed her down. Her oversized shirt made her slow even further.

Astero quickly swam up to her, and grabbed her firmly, wrapping his arms around her waist. He spun her around in place, while slowly moving her back to the shore. “Got you.” He said, giving her a kiss.

She tried to wiggle away, but found his grip to be too strong. "Damn. Okay. You got me."

“Told you I would.” He smirked.

"Does this count as swimming?" She asked as he hauled her towards the shore.

He let her go. “No, I just wanted to get closer to shore, is all. Open water can suck.” He told her.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm probably not a strong enough swimmer for that, yet." She told him, relaxing in his arms. "This is nice, though."

He felt her relax, and let her body float on the water. He casually pulled her around, letting her body relax more. “Hope you are enjoying yourself.” He said with a soft kiss.

"I am." She told him. "There's only one thing that could make this better."

“What is that?” He asked her curiously.

She took a hand, and slowly rubbed the muscles of his arm. "You." She smiled.

He leaned down, and kissed her slowly. “Then, you should have just asked.” He smiled into the kiss. His hands holding her on the surface of the water.

"What? I like to flirt." She defended, looking him over.

“I know. It can be excruciating when you want it to be.” He told her, running a hand along her curves.

She sighed at the feeling of his hand. "That was fun, though, right? If not, no more flirting with the boyfriend."

“You can flirt as much as you want.” He smirked. “I never said to stop.”

"I don't want to overdo it if you don't like it." She told him. "You know, I really do like swimming with you. Especially alone."

“Just keep it to a minimum when I am at work.” He asked, running his hand down her stomach, and under her shirt. “I also like swimming with you.”

She smirked up at him. "I'm willing to bet we can both like it better."

“Oh, I know we can.” He said sliding his hand down under her underwear. “It could be so much more fun.” He smirked.

"So much fun." She said, pulling herself closer to him with her legs while still floating. "Oh, hello, there."

He smiled at her, and began to gently massage her opening as he undid his pants. “Hello, yourself.”

She moaned at the feeling of his fingers. "As." She looked up at him, wanting clear in her eyes. "Please."

He pulled down his pants, and leaned down over her to kiss her. He moved her underwear to the side, and inserted himself inside of her. “Of course.” He sighed, looking into her eyes.

She gripped onto him, keeping him close. Her lips met his again. "Fast and hard, please." She pleaded with him as she helped him by holding him around the neck and shoulders for support.

He took a second to reposition himself slightly before he locked lips with her, and began to quickly move his hips hard and fast into her. “With pleasure.” He moaned.

She didn't really pull away from him. Her lips were just barely touching his as she loudly shrieked into him. "Aaah. Ahh!" She moaned, thrusting harder onto him.

He continued his pace, kissing her cheek and neck as his hips moved into her. He playfully bit her neck as he gave a good buck into her for good measure.

"Oh. Oh, I- do that again, As." She begged as he fucked her. She roughly stole a kiss. "Bite me again."

“Okay.” He smirked as he sank his teeth into her neck not enough to break skin, but she could tell he was there. “I didn’t know you liked it so rough.” He replied, fucking her faster now, making her start to bounce. “Oh, fuck. You feel great.” He moaned.

"Fuck. You too." She moaned into him, pulling him close. Her face burying itself into his neck where the sounds she made vibrated his chest. Her legs helped pull him closer, faster, and harder. "So close."

“Same.” He told her as he started to pant. He fucked her as fast as he could, and knew he was close himself. He moved back to her lips, and kissed her passionately.

She kissed him long and hard not stopping the kiss even as her orgasm hit, making her walls dance around him. She groaned into the kiss as her tongue met his. She reveled in the taste and feel of him, enjoying the closeness, and feeling sudden immense pleasure as she felt him come to completion inside her.

He bucked and twitched as he came in her, feeling their juices mingle. He panted for a minute before he pulled away from her. “I love you.” He murmured, casting the spell on her. “That was incredible.”

"I love you." She told him, looking him in the eyes. "And, yes, it was."

He smiled at her, and moved a little farther to the shore before sitting down. “So much for swimming.” He chuckled.

"I'm counting it. That was swimming." She wiggled her hips on his, starting to pull away. She sat down next to him in the water. "Thank you for finding this place, and for always casting the spell, and cooking. I don't deserve you."

“That's not true.” He told her. “They tried to keep us away from each other for well over two decades. Yet, we still ended up together. I think we were meant to be together.” He smiled at her, putting an arm around her.

She leaned into him, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath. "Thank you." She muttered, but she wasn't sure if the words were for Astero or Mask. She just felt she had to thank someone, so she did.

Astero held her close just enjoying her closeness to him. He sighed contently before looking up to see the stars. “This is the brightest I have ever seen the stars.” He told her.

She looked up, taking a look for herself. "Wow." She gasped. "This is- It makes me feel small. You know?"

“Yeah, it does.” He sighed a bit. “But it is nice to feel like the universe is bigger. You know?” He smiled, looking at her.

"Like, it was here before us, and it will be here long after us. It's almost, kind of, calming." She whispered.

“Yeah.” He whispered back, looking up at the sky.

She closed her eyes again as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

He sighed, and gently kissed her head. “I do, too.” He rested his head on hers

"I love you, Astero. Until the end." She chuckled.

“I love you, Magdiana. Until the end.” He chuckled back.

She sat quietly, enjoying the comfortable silence. The sound of his breathing, the waves, and the distant sound of insects near shore. Eventually, she sighed. "We should probably go soon. We have to get our asses kicked in the morning."

He sighed, and stood up. “Yeah, let’s head home. I'm starting to turn into a prune.” He chuckled.

"I am a prune." She wiggled her fingers in his direction, starting to chase him with them. "And, I will devour you."

“Oh no! Not the prune monster!” He joked, running to the beach.

She chased him, using all her speed to catch him, and jump onto his back. "I got you!" She celebrated with a kiss to the side of his head before hopping down. She found her clothes quickly, and started to dress.

“Tell Mag I love her!” He said out loud as he mock-died. “Blarg.” He quickly stood up, walked over to her, and dried their clothes with magic.

She giggled for a minute. "You are incorrigible. I love it."

“Thank you. I try.” He smirked, giving her a small kiss. “Now, let’s head to bed. We need to get our asses kicked.” He yawned a bit.


	11. Sacrifice the Exchange

It was only years of conditioning that woke Magdiana at dawn that day. It took her mere moments to remember where they were supposed to be, and she quickly turned to shake Astero lightly. "As, we're going to be late. Wake up." She told him a little louder than she meant to, and she must have startled him because, in the next moment, she was pinned to the bed; Astero hovering over her.

Astero blinked for several seconds, processing who he had pinned down before he released Magdiana from the hold she was in. “Sorry.” He sighed, shaking his head to help him wake up a bit. “I didn’t mean to.” He apologized, giving her a small hug.

"I know." She held him for a moment. "I understand. It's okay."

He sighed simply holding her. “Thank you.” He whispered, moving away, and going to get dressed. “Let’s go see Wake.”

"Let's." She replied from besided him fully prepared for a fight.

He held out his hand, and the two walked out the door to go meet Wake. They quickly made their way to the docks, and strolled onto The Raven. They waited for several minutes for Wake to show, but it was quickly becoming clear that he wasn’t showing. “Maybe, he's running late?” Astero asked Magdiana.

"Huh." She said, looking around. "I mean, we're here. So, I guess, let's check the ship. Then, we can check The Rook."

“Yeah, let’s do that.” He agreed, moving to the captain's quarters. He opened the door, and looked around, seeing that the place was a mess. “Uh, Mag. What happened here?”

She looked around the room, and felt her stomach sink. "Something's wrong."

He nodded, and looked over the desk. “It doesn’t look like anything was taken. It is like someone was looking for something.” He wondered aloud, seeing drawers pulled out, and tossed to the side.

Magdiana backed out of the room, running down below deck to check there as well. She returned seconds later. "It's the same down below."

“We need to go to The Rook.” He told her, turning, and nearly bolting off of the ship.

She dashed to follow him, keeping pace with him. Could she run faster? Yes, but was it safe to do so? Probably not. Her mind went over everything in her head before she gasped, and, in a panic started to dig through her bag, eventually pulling out a small, smooth rock. "Mom?" She asked into it.

"Yes?" A tired voice asked over the stone.

"Is everything okay over there?" Magdiana asked.

Eri sounded slightly more awake. "Yes. Why?"

Magdiana breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know yet. Something's up with The Raven. We'll let you know when we know more."

"Be safe." Eri responded, but, before Magdiana could put the stone away, she could hear a faint. "Marius!" Coming from the other side.

Magdiana's breath was heavy now from running and speaking. "Family's safe."

Astero nodded at her before he began to slow down as he saw The Rook. The doors were open, and a few windows were smashed outwards. “What the hell.” He trailed off before walking cautiously into the inn.

Magdiana followed, keeping her guard up, and eyes searching for any sign of danger. She was also looking for people who needed help. All around the inn and tavern, objects were torn down or knocked onto the ground. It looked like somebody was looking for something, smashing everything in sight that wasn't their quarry.

“Hello!?” Astero called out, looking for some form of life to answer the many questions he had. He heard a small ruckus come from the kitchen, and he readied his sword. Out from the kitchen with a sword in hand came Wake. Astero dropped his guard at the sight, but Wake pointed a finger. Several blasts of magic hit him. Astero got launched back into the wall, and looked back at Wake in pain and confusion. “Wake?”

Wake eyes were bloodshot as he took several steps forward. “Where is Raze?!” He yelled as his sword began to glow.

"Wake!" Magdiana yelled, stepping in front of Astero. "Stop this. What's going on?!"

Wake kept marching forward, ignoring Magdiana in front of him in favor of Astero, but answering her question. “His fuckwad of a brother took Raze! And, I want to know where she is. He takes something from me; I take something from him.” He sneered, pushing Magdiana to the side.

"No!" Magdiana yelled, casting a spell of her own at Wake, trying to draw his ire. With the look he was giving Astero at the moment, it looked like Wake would actually kill him.

Astero stood up and summoned his sword. “Fine, if you want a punching bag, so be it.” He growled, firing a Firebolt at him, and hitting Wake dead center.

Magdiana rolled her eyes, drawing her daggers. "Fucking, A. I guess we're doing this."

Wake charged forward, and struck Astero with his sword. The blade dug deeply into his chest, and, an instant later, Astero disappeared. Wake turned to Magdiana with the same look in his eyes. “You're next.” He growled.

Magdiana felt a moment of horror strike her as Astero disappeared, but did her best to remain calm. She took a breath, squaring her feet before she flipped into a handspring, letting the glass on the floor dig into her palms so she could knock Wake down. A moment later, he was on the floor, and she threw her special dagger, striking him firmly in the shoulder with a resounding boom and hiss of thunder. "Wake. Calm down, and let us help."

Wake held his shoulder for a moment before he tried getting up. “I need to find Raze.” He panted in obvious pain.

She tentatively stepped closer. "I want to find Raze, too, but I can't do that if you're attacking me."

“He took her! For no reason! I came back, and she was gone. Just a coin on the bed with an ‘R’ on it. Tell me how that makes sense!” He growled, standing up before he fell to the ground again. A second later, Astero reappeared. Wake looked at Astero, and shook his head before he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Magdiana kneeled down beside Wake, gripping his shoulder, and healing him; he was still unconscious. She turned back to Astero, healing him as well. Her hands shook as she touched him, feeling the blood coming from the wound in his chest. "As, are you okay?" She sniffled, tears starting to fall.

Astero stirred, and looked at Mag. “He hits worse than an owl bear. More like a dragon turtle.” He groaned, sitting upright.

Magdiana's forehead came to rest on Astero's. "Rivin took Raze." She whispered to him. Her tears falling onto his face. "What do we do?"

Astero closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. “I don’t know.” He was sore, angry, and all this seemed like a bad dream. “Why would he take her?” He asked Magdiana. “What reason would he have for doing that?”

Magdiana slowly sat up. "Hang on." She told him, marching away, and up the stairs to the all too familiar room 6. She almost couldn't help but laugh when she saw a letter in a sealed envelope on the coffee table. "Gods dammit, Rivin." She muttered, bringing the letter downstairs with bleeding and shaking hands. "I can't open it." She said, handing the letter to Astero as she started to pick the glass out of her skin.

Astero sighed as he took the letter. Of all of the letters he had gotten from his brother so far, this one he was dreading to read the most. He slowly opened the letter, and sighed as he started to read its contents.

_Dear Astero,_

_I know you have a lot of questions right now, and it makes sense. A lot has happened. Please tell Wake that his wife is safe, and she will not be harmed. I just want to talk to him. Get to know the man who has told my brother so much about me. I would love to actually sit down with you, and have lunch sometime. Like a family. For now, though, just tell Wake to meet me at the point on the map I have included, and to come alone with that wonderful ship of his. We will chat later when he shows up. _

_Your brother,  
Rivin_

Astero growled, and looked at the small map. It was out in the ocean. “What the fuck would he want to meet him out there for?” He asked, looking at Magdiana.

She looked at the mark on the map, thinking on it for a moment. "It's in a place where ships stall. Bad currents and winds. It's where I'd plan to steal a ship."

He thought it over in his head before looking at the unconscious Wake. “Why would he want Wake’s ship? Isn’t Wake the only one who can control it?” He asked out loud.

Magdiana's mind was working double time, looking at the captain and back to Astero. "There's a way to find out."

“How?” He asked her, getting up a bit wobbly.

"We try to steal The Raven." She suggested.

He looked between Mag and the the tiefling. He sighed. “Okay, but we need to be quick. I don’t want to leave him like this.”

"We can take him with us." She looked between the two of them. "We aren't exactly incognito at the moment."

“Fine. I will take him.” He sighed, moving over to him, and lifting him over his shoulder. Wake made a noise, but didn’t stir.

Magdiana quickly healed her hands before grabbing her dagger, the letter, and map. "Let's go." She said, walking quickly out the door.

Astero followed behind her; the two of them drawing the attention of several people as they passed by in the early hours of the morning. They quickly arrived at The Raven, and Astero set Wake down in his cabin before walking out to the deck. “Okay, I don’t really know where to begin.” He told her, looking over the deck of the ship.

Magdiana took a few minutes, and soon was detecting magic around the ship. She paced around it several times before saying, "I think the strongest magic is at the helm. It feels- I don't know how to describe it."

Astero walked up to the helm, and placed his hands on the wheel. He ran his hands across the edge, and felt a few small engravings. He leaned down, and saw that there were words in Infernal. “Holy shit.” He gasped in awe. “Yeah, a spell was cast on the ship, but it looks like anyone can pilot it.”

Magdiana walked over to him, inspecting the words. "Must be infernal. That definitely isn't anything I speak."

He nodded. “Yeah. It’s impressive.” He replied, looking the words over, translating them. “To rule the sea, a ship you will need. To make The Raven fly, raise the mizzenmast high.” He said in common. A moment later, magic washed over him, and he felt like his limbs and sight extended throughout and past the ship. “Okay, this feels weird.”

"Wait. Can this ship actually fly?" She asked in something akin to awe.

Astero closed his eyes for a second, and shook his head. “No, I think that was just a figure of speech.” He explained, sounding relieved. “But, it does make me wonder why he had a crew to begin with. I can basically control the whole ship.” He started to make the rigging move with a thought, and several coils of rope became tightly knotted in the right places.

Magdiana watched the objects move of their own accord. "Rivin can't have this. If he got it, he would be unstoppable."

“Which is why he won’t.” Wake grumbled, stumbling out of the cabin. “And, get your hands off my ship.” His voice firm and stubborn while he was still panting.

"You, sir, need rest." Magdiana glowered. "We were trying to figure out why Rivin left this letter, and obviously figured it out."

Wake walked up, and took the map from her. He looked it over for all but a second before he shook his head. “Of course, he would want me to meet him there. Fucking Greenhorn Reef.” He sighed.

"You can't go." Magdiana looked to Astero for assistance. "I know you want Raze back. Hells, we do, too, but, if you go, Wake, if it were me, you wouldn't come back."

“Wake.” Astero said to him seriously. “It is a trap, and my brother is going to do something. I know it. You can’t go.” He begged the captain.

Wake looked at the map, and, then, to the two of them. “I have to go.” He told them. “He has Raze, and, if I know anything about your brother, he isn’t a liar. If I don’t go, Raze will die. I am not going to let that happen to her.” He told them.

Magdiana's eyes met Astero's. "Then- then, take us with you." She implored the captain. "Shitty backup is better than no backup."

Astero nodded. “Please. We can help. We can do something.”

Wake looked the two of them over. “You're right. You can stay here and make sure Raze gets back safely.” He reasoned, standing up straighter. “You two wouldn’t last five seconds against Rivin. Let alone being backup. Stay here. I promised to keep you two safe, and I intend to do it.”

Magdiana looked to Astero as Wake walked to the helm. Her lip started to quiver. "Why do I feel like we killed him?" She whispered.

Astero shook his head. “Because we did.” He murmured with a clenched fist, turning, and walking off of the ship with haste.

Magdiana nodded once slowly turning and walking to the gangplank. When she got there, she looked over to see Wake at the helm. She didn't know what to say, but she felt she should say or do something.

Wake looked down at Magdiana. “Tell Astero to keep my sword.” He told her with a small smile. “And, here, take this.” He called, tossing her a dagger. “For your collection.” As he said that, Magdiana was being pushed off of the ship, and the gang plank retreated. The rigging came alive, and The Raven began to quickly leave port.

Magdiana kneeled on the dock, sobbing for several moments before wiping her tears and gripping her newly acquired dagger. "He wasn't even scared." She muttered to herself before she had a sudden realization, searching around for any sign of Astero. He was nowhere to be found, so she sprinted all out until she made it to her parent's house. She frantically knocked on the door. "Mom! Dad! Please answer. It's Mag. This is life or death important!" She shouted.

Marius opened the door, and gazed at his daughter intently. "What's wrong?" He asked, grabbing her shoulders.

Magdiana panted, looking straight into her father's eyes. "You need to tell The King… Wake is going to… Come see him the fucking hard way. And, Rivin is going to have The Raven. Please, tell me you can get the message to him."

Marius's eyes went wide. He quickly turned call into the house. "Eri! Message the King!" He yelled, dragging Magdiana inside of the house.

"They took Raze." Magdiana started to cry again, throwing herself into her father's arms. "Oh, gods."

Marius held Magdiana close as she cried into him. He fought back tears of his own, trying to be strong for her.

"Dad," Magdiana sniffed, "I don't know where Astero went, and Wake gave us his weapons. I don't think he was planning on coming back."

Marius shook his head a bit. "You would know better than anyone where he might have gone. I haven't the foggiest idea of where he could be. Let's go find him. You lead the way." He told her.

"I guess we could check the house." She shrugged. "Will Mom and Jacob be okay?"

He looked to see Eri, and she nodded at him. “Yeah, they will be fine.” He told Mag honestly.

"Let's go." She mumbled, walking out the door. She wiped her eyes, sniffing before she looked to her father. "What the fuck is going on?" She muttered not expecting an answer.

He looked to Magdiana, and sighed. “I only know bits, but, from what I do know, Rivin has wanted The Raven for something. Probably to mess with The King in some way, but, if Wake is going to Rivin without weapons, he's probably made his decision.” He frowned.

"Why?" She responded quietly, taking out Wake's dagger, and looking it over. "This shit gets more complicated by the day."

“You know what The King is, right?” He asked her seriously.

She shook her head. "I can only make an educated guess."

“The King is a lich. A very powerful one, at that.” He began. “But, unlike other liches who go out and take souls to stay alive, he has them offered to him. Given even.” He explained, looking her over carefully.

"Offered?" Magdiana asked curiously before whispering, "Astero's parents."

“Yeah.” He whispered back. “Which is why The King was looking after him.”

She looked at her father. "That, I suppose, I can understand, but, if this is all connected, and it is, why did I get taken? That still doesn't make sense to me."

“From what I can tell, Rivin wanted to turn you into a weapon to kill The King. I'm a paladin, Your mom is a cleric. Both of our gods fight for the side of life. It sounded like he was banking on you becoming like one of us, and he was right.” Marius sounded annoyed. He was unnerved by the thought that went into this plan of Rivin’s.

"But, why am I a rogue if he was banking on me becoming a cleric or something? Astero thinks that Rivin was trying to train me to replace him, but, compared to that guy, I'm fucking useless." She took a breath. "And, how come they were teaching Astero stuff, too? Why pit us against each other? If you're training two people to do one job, wouldn't they be better off as a team?"

“I don’t know, Mag.” He told her honestly. “Only Rivin would know that, and I doubt he will tell.” he sighed. “Gods, he's an asshole.”

Magdiana pressed her hands to her face, and groaned. "How in the Nine Hells is Astero's brother such an asshole?"

Marius stopped in his tracks, and looked at Mag like she had six heads on her. “What did you just say?”

"Oh, shit. I said that out loud." She groaned.

“You knew that Astero's older brother was the one who kidnapped you and took you from us!?” He said in horror. "Mag, this is the guy you're sleeping with. What the fuck?"

"Dad, I- in Astero's defense, he's a victim here too. And, in mine, I didn't know any of this when I fell for him back in Yutan." She stopped walking, and leveled her gaze at her father. "You're going to try to stop me from looking for him now, aren't you?"

Marius looked at her sadly. He shook his head at her, and it hung, looking at the ground after several long, silent moments. “No, but I'm not going to help you find him, either. I need time to think.” He responded, turning around.

"Please, don't make me choose, Dad." She said firmly. "That's not fair."

He put a hand up, and turned to look at her with wet eyes. “You're our daughter. We will always love you. You don’t have to choose. I- we will just need time to process this.” He told her, shaking his head in confusion.

She nodded sadly, turned around, and ran to her house. When she got there, she called out, "Astero?!"

Astero was on the couch, and he had his back facing the door. “Yeah, I’m here.” He muttered quietly.

"Oh, thank fuck." She sighed. "Are you okay?"

He didn’t look at her. He just shook his head. “No.” He sniffled.

She sat down on the couch next to him, pulling him in for a hug, holding him tightly. "I love you." She whispered, starting to cry again herself.

He turned, and hugged her tightly, crying into her arms. “I love you.” He sobbed, letting the feelings release that he had been bottling up for so long.

"I'm here. It's okay." She rubbed his back to comfort him. "I'm so sorry."

“I lost another family member, Mag. I didn’t want to lose any more.” He cried into her.

"I know." She sobbed. "I did too. He was a good man, As. He chose his end. He chose Raze."

“I know, but why does it feel like we did this?” He asked her, wiping tears from his eyes. “We did nothing wrong.”

She was quiet for several minutes, just thinking. "Because, it is our fault. Just not for the reasons you think." She started. "We didn't cause this, no, but we're doing a lot of things that Rivin didn't want us to do. This is like a punishment for the bad kids who couldn't fall in line and do what he wanted."

“Fuck him.” Astero growled, standing up, and pacing. “No, this isn’t a punishment. Rivin is just a fucking asshole. You don’t send someone off to die to prove a fucking point!” He yelled.

"No, nobody normal does, but this is a huge win for him, isn't it? Gets The Raven, kills Wake, manipulates us," she ticked the list off on her fingers. "The real question is, what's this all building up to?"

“I don't know, but it is going to be big. Rivin is planning something, and, whatever it is, he'll be using a magical ship as a pawn.” He told her, leaning on a chair to think. “What's the big picture?”

"I have no clue, As. I keep mulling over all the details, but it just doesn't make sense. It feels like we're missing something. Something big, and all of this is over what? The King of the Dead. From his first letter, I can tell that Rivin's against him. That much is obvious. The why is also obvious, but what's the end game? I don't see it."

He looked at her for a long moment before he spoke. “We need to talk to The King.” He told her seriously. “Whatever is going on is between The King and Rivin. He is the one who can answer our questions.” He said firmly.

"And, for the love of the gods, we can't have lunch with your brother." She added, remembering the letter from earlier. "I will stab him."

“I don’t have a brother.” He told her seriously. “Rivin might be related to me, but he is not my brother. Brothers look out for one another. He is evil, and, by all means, stab him. Because, if you don’t, I will.”

Magdiana nodded. "Wake told me to have you keep his sword."

Astero nodded. “I will make sure I keep it with me.” He replied, wiping a tear from his eye. “Let's go get it. As much as I love the house, I need air.” He sighed, feeling bogged down.

She nodded. "Let's get out of here." She handed him Wake's dagger. "He gave me that. Feels magical. Sword might be too."

He looked over the dagger, and saw it had runes on it. “Yeah, it’s magical. Don’t know what it does, but it does something.” He said, handing it back to her.

She took the dagger back. "I guess I'm up to sixteen now."

He chuckled a bit. “Still don't know where you will store it.”

"I'm thinking upper back, visible." She told him. "I'm basically out of hidden dagger space. As?"

He looked at her. “Yeah?”

"Uh, you know how I word vomit when I'm stressed out?" She asked him nervously.

“Yeah, why?” He asked nervously.

She looked at him seriously, so he could see her emotions. "I let slip about Rivin to my Dad."

He shook his head at her. “Please, tell me you're joking.” He groaned sadly.

"I really wish I was." She whispered.

“Gods damn it, Mag.” He covered his face. He stopped walking, trying to process her words. “What did he say?” He asked her.

"He was actually looking for you with me. He just left." She told him.

“Fuck.” He sighed deeply. “And, I thought your parents were starting to like me, too.” He frowned, walking ahead to The Rook.

She sighed. "They like you. Just not your blood relative."

“They have every right to be.” He replied bitterly.

"I'm sorry." She sighed, looking away, and into the distance. "This is all so complicated."

“I know it is. It just came at the wrong time.”Hhe sighed, looking back at her. “I'm not mad at you, just- we really need to work on that.” He sighed.

She sighed in return. "I know. I really fucked this one up."

“It just happened at literally the worst time.” He told her.

She nodded, gulping. "I will try to be better. I promise."

“I know you will.” He smiled at her.

"How in the Hells will Raze get back?" She asked curiously.

“I don’t know. Maybe teleport.” He said, trying to figure it out.

"I hope she's okay." Magdiana worried. "Wake seemed pretty positive that she'd be safe, but in what condition will she be? It would be way too easy to kill Wake in front of her and send her off."

“I don’t think he would. That would mean she is already at the place where they are meeting, and would need to come back from there as well. That is convoluted.” He told her, thinking it over. “She would need to be close.” He thought aloud, trailing off before looking at Magdiana. “He used dimension door. She would need to be at least 500 feet from The Rook.” He told her.

She thought for a minute. "Where was that realtor that we bought the house from located? You said the woman seemed to be on Rivin's payroll."

He nodded. “It wasn’t far. It might be close enough.” He told her, leading the way.

"What are we doing?" Magdiana asked. "What's the plan?"

“Go in, and see if Raze is being held there.” He told her.

"Let me be more plain. If she's there, are we eliminating the problem?" She asked instead.

“Why wouldn’t we?” He asked her. “If we get Raze back, Wake could be called and told to come back.”

Magdiana nodded. "Yes, but I don't want to get my hopes up. And, if we leave things as they are-. If we quietly let it happen, Rivin might feel more comfortable with us. He needs to be close to get rid of him. The King's men have always had trouble pinning him down well enough to get him. That could be us."

“So, you’re saying we do nothing. Just sit back, and let Wake die.” He frowned, looking at her with an odd expression.

"I'm not saying that!" She told him. "Gods, I want him to be okay, and, Hells yes, we're checking and doing this. But, if we're wrong, maybe it's not the worst thing. Giving up would be worse."

“Then, let’s go check the realtor.” He replied, sighing in relief.

She started to walk faster. "Let's go find out what the new dagger does the fun way."

“Then, let's get the sword quickly. I want to try it out.” He grinned.

"Alright, but fast." She said, picking up pace again.

“It will only take a minute.” He told her, walking faster now.

"I'm more worried about Raze than anything." She admitted.

“So am I, but if Wake is anything to go by, Raze is a fighter. She will be fine.” He told her.

They made it to The Rook soon. There wasn't as much of a crowd gathered outside as before. Now, it seemed only to be passersby and some scattered military presence. Magdiana grabbed Astero's arm, and lead him around to the back, letting them in sneakily through a window.

They walked into the main area, and Astero grabbed Wake's sword. He quickly put it at his side, and walked out as fast as he could without causing suspicion. He looked to Magdiana, and held the sword. “It doesn’t feel right.” He told her.

"How so?" She asked.

“It's like wearing someone else's shoes. It feels weird holding his sword.” He replied, making a face.

She nodded. "I understand now. I wish I could say it will get better, but-" She shook her head, and shrugged.

“I'm hoping this works for us.” He told her.

She gripped his shoulder reassuringly. "It will."

“I am hoping.” He repeated, resting his hand on hers.

She stole his hand, kissing it. "Let's do this."

“Let’s.” He said with determination while holding her hand.

She followed his lead to the unfamiliar building, eyeing it appraisingly. "Front or back?" She asked.

“Back. Don’t want any extra attention.” He told her, turning down a nearby alleyway.

When they got to the back, she used her tools to start working the lock. "Son of a bitch." She whispered to him. "These locks are avatars of Asmodeus himself."

“You got this. I know you do.” He whispered to her in confidence.

"Thank you." She told him, sweating from effort. She wiped her brow before she finally heard the telltale click. "You're good, Rivin, but I'm better. You fucking prick."

“Good job.” He said, patting her on the shoulder. “Now, let’s go find Raze.” He smiled.

She put her tools away, and carefully opened the door, looking inside. She didn't see anything of import, so she stepped further in. "I don't see anything."

“There has to be something there.” He told her, following her in.

She gestured to the room. "It just looks like an office."

“There is more to it than that. There is probably a secret door or something.” He said, looking around the room.

"Open." She said in draconic. Nothing happening as she did so.

“Open.” Astero said in infernal, and like Mag, nothing happened.

She tried elvish for good measure, but, still, nothing happened. She looked around the room, finding nothing of import. "I have no idea what's happening, but she's not here."

“She has to be nearby.” He said to her. “It’s not like she just vanished into thin air.”

"Well, where else could she be hidden? Rivin was at the adventuring guild. We could try there. The only other place we know about other than that is our house." She told him.

“The adventuring guild would be too far away.” He told her. “And, our house would be too noticeable. Right?” He asked her, hoping he was wrong.

Magdiana thought for a minute. "Not if she's gagged in the basement."

“Oh, gods. Please let me be wrong about this.” He grumbled, moving out of the door.

She ran after him, slamming the door shut behind her. She was almost passing him in speed now. "Gonna get my fucking running in today. Motherfucker." She grumbled next to him.

He kept pace with Magdiana, and quickly made it to the house. He slammed the door open, and ran to the chimney speaking the command word as he did so. They bolted down the stairs, and, in the main basement room, they found a bound and gagged Raze, struggling to free herself from her bonds. “Oh, fucking Hells.” Astero groaned, starting to untie the ropes.

"We need sending." Magdiana said. "Shit. We have to stop him. Raze, do you have a sending stone to Wake?"

She shook her head, and looked at Magdiana. “No. Not on me, but there is one at The Rook.” She quickly told her.

Magdiana didn't take a moment to think before she looked ready to bolt. "No, there's not! If it was me, I'd take it to make this harder."

“Then what do we do?” Astero asked, helping Raze out of the chair.

"My mom can cast it." She determined quickly.

“Then, use your stone, and tell her to stop him!” He told her.

Magdiana sighed. "I forgot about that." She grabbed the stone. "Mom?"

A moment passed before Eri replied. “Yes?”

"Can you cast sending to Wake, and tell him that we found Raze? He has to come back." She asked quickly.

“Give me just a minute.” She quickly replied.

"Oh, please. Oh, please." Magdiana worried aloud as she waited. "Raze, are you okay? Do you need healing?"

Raze shook her head, massaging her wrists as she paced. “No, I just wished I knew what was going on.” She told them, looking confused.

"We were supposed to spar with Wake this morning. Instead, you were kidnapped by Rivin, and Wake took The Raven into a clear trap to rescue you." Magdiana explained quickly.

“That fucking idiot.” Raze said, making her way to the door. “He better come back.” She growled.

“Mag?” Eri replied from the stone.

"I'm listening." She quickly responded.

“I cast sending to him, and gave him time to respond. There was no answer.” She said with a wavering voice.

Magdiana sniffed. "Thank you for trying."

“I'm sorry, Mag.” Eri sniffled.

"Love you." She responded, cutting off the connection. Magdiana looked up to Astero, shaking her head.

Astero hung his head. He looked at Raze, with a nervous gaze. “Raze, I'm sorry.” He said quietly.

Magdiana didn't hesitate, striding over, and pulling the woman into a crushing hug. "We screwed up. I'm so sorry."

Raze stared off into the distance before slowly shaking her head. Her eyes became wet. “No. He isn’t gone. He can’t be gone.” She said with a wavering voice.

"He didn't respond, Raze." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Razes legs gave out, and she collapsed into Magdiana's arms. “No!” She screamed in despair. “You're lying. He's just gone for a quick trip.”

Magdiana held the woman tight, but almost fell over when Raze's weight leaned into her. She pat the woman's back, trying not to cry with her, and failing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Astero fell down against the wall, crying as he did so.

Raze cried into Magdiana's arms, sobbing, and crying uncontrollably. “Wake!” She cried, hoping he would call back.

Magdiana had no words just trying to guide Raze to the couch to sit, but the woman was not complying easily. Finally, she lost her patience, and was about to yell, 'Calm down', when she felt magic wash over the room. "Of all the times to get new magic. What the fuck." She muttered, suddenly starting to feel peaceful.

Raze’s sniffling and sobbing began to calm down. She let Magdiana guide her to the couch. She sat down, staring off into the distance. She sat quietly for several minutes before she looked at Magdiana. “He really is gone. Isn’t he?” She murmured with a hoarse voice.

"He is. This shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry." Magdiana's whispered head resting in her hands as she leaned down over the floor.

Raze sighed deeply, sniffling a bit. "Thank you, Wake. Always protecting me."

Astero walked over, and sat down next to Raze. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that Rivin did this.” He said sadly.

"It is not your fault." She told him, grabbing his hand. "We knew that this was a possibility. It's our fault for not being more vigilant."

“No, it’s Rivin’s fault.” He told her. “He did this.”

She patted the boy's hand. "Yes, he did." She sighed. "The King knows?"

Astero looked at Magdiana. “I think so.”

"I got a message to him," she nodded, "for all the help it did."

Raze nodded. “Good. If he knows, then, he will probably show up here.” She said quietly.

"Uh, what?" Magdiana asked quickly with eyes wide.

“Wake and The King talked a lot. Wake did a lot of deliveries for him. They were friends. He will want to come by and talk to me. And, I want to talk to him.” She simply stated, standing up. “I need to go change. I am not in decent clothing to meet him.”

Magdiana looked at Raze. Her clothes looked fine. "What do you need? A ball gown?" She snarked.

“I have been tied to a chair for several hours Mag. I need a new pair of underwear.” She told her seriously.

Magdiana sighed. "Do you need someone to walk with you?"

“I will be fine. You two should probably prepare yourselves, though. The King will probably want to talk to you.” She told them, looking them over.

"Good." Magdiana said, standing up, and hearing the sounds of joints popping. "I have some fucking questions."

“So do I.” Astero added, standing up. “Many questions.”

Raze looked at them, and sighed. “Feel free to ask. Just don’t shit yourselves when you see him.” She commented, walking up the stairs.

"In case you haven't guessed yet," Magdiana turned to look at Astero, "I got a straight answer from Dad today. He's a lich."

Raze nodded. “Yup, but, even then, he is terrifying looking.” she added.

Astero shook his head. “I will just think of the most terrifying thing imaginable and go from there.”

"I'm not afraid." Magdiana said. "His army, however, straight up heebie jeebies."

Astero shook his head. “That is terrifying.” He shuddered.

"I need a shower." Magdiana sighed, following Raze up the stairs.

He nodded, and followed her out of the basement. “I’ll go after you.” He offered. “I need a cold shower.”

"I need a hot one." She responded before slowly treading up the stairs, stripping, and hopping under the hot stream of water. The shower warmed her body, but she still felt cold. She found herself on the floor of the tub, sobbing helplessly. In that moment, she just knew everything had been her fault, and she cried for her loss, for her mistakes. She didn't realize that she'd even screamed in her frustration. She punched the tiled wall. "Fucking homewrecker." She admonished herself. "If you weren't around, they'd still be together."

Eventually, she stepped out of the shower long after the water had grown cold. In her towel, she looked to Astero. "You're up." She told him quietly.

“Thanks.” He responded at almost a whisper. “I might be a bit.” He added as he walked into the bathroom. He got into the shower, and turned the water as cold as it would go. He shivered a bit, but found the sensation somewhat relaxing. He felt his body tense up as the cold shortened his breaths, and he leaned against the wall. He held his head, and looked up to the ceiling. “I don’t ask for much, but, please, please, let Rivin suffer.” He prayed to any god that would listen. He sat in the cold water for several long minutes before he eventually got out. He wrapped a towel around himself, and sat on the bed, putting his head in his hands.

A fully dressed Magdiana sat down next to him. She didn't say anything. She was just there, needing the comfort of his company. A hand rested on his thigh. She stared at a wall, but she wasn't really seeing anything.

He placed a hand on her hand, and stared at the wall with her. The quiet company was nice and well needed. He sat next to her for a few more minutes before he kissed her hand, and got dressed.

She sat there without moving. She wasn't really sure what to do. Her other hand played with Wake's dagger. She didn't want to let it go; she was afraid that it too would disappear. She found that this one felt different in her hand, and favored a different grip with it. She didn't know why. That grip just felt right. Her eyes broke away from the wall, and she looked down to the dagger. She sighed. Nothing she said or did would make a difference, now. "Maybe, I should just quit." She muttered darkly more to herself than anything.

Astero turned to look at her. “What?” He asked her, hearing the odd statement.

"Maybe, I should just quit." She said louder. "It'll save everybody a lot of trouble and heartbreak if I just turn it all off and be the fucking weapon he wants."

“No.” He told her. “That won’t solve anything. It will only make Rivin stronger.” He said a bit saddened.

"I don't know what else I can do to fix this." She muttered.

“We can’t fix this.” He stated calmly. “Yes, Wake is gone, but we need to make sure he didn’t die for nothing.” He told her.

She sighed. "You mean, for a couple of fuck ups who have no idea what they're doing?"

“No, for two people who were kept around to make sure things were done right.” He told her seriously.

"But, what are we doing?" She looked at him, now. "Because every step we make forward seems to end in disaster."

“Every step we take forward is to get stronger. We are not the ones causing all of this.” He said, looking at her intently.

She frowned. "It sure feels like we are, and it's only going to get worse. He needs us. I don't know why, but, when he's ready-" She shook her head.

“He is not going to tell us what to do.” He told her firmly, walking over to her. “We are not his tools anymore. We are our own people.”

"Aren't we? He knew every move we'd make. He knew exactly how to throw us off his scent. He won today. He was miles ahead of us, As. How do we beat that? Because I don't see it." She argued.

“We will find a way. Rivin is smart, but even he must make mistakes. He is only human, after all.” His words stated as calmly as he could.

She was silent, staring him down for several minutes before she broke eye contact. "I feel like I don't deserve the life I have. I have everything. Raze just lost everything."

“And, it wasn’t our fault, Mag.” He told her. “It was Rivin.” He added firmly.

"He would still be alive if it wasn't for us!" She shouted, heading towards the door.

Astero stepped in the way of her path. “Rivin killed Wake. Wake knew what he was doing when he trained us. He knew what could happen when he took us from Yutan.” He told her firmly. “We did nothing wrong, Mag!”

"Then, why does everything feel wrong?!" She quipped.

“Because losing the ones you love sucks!” He replied back.

She looked at him oddly. "I didn't love Wake."

“He felt like an uncle to me. Like family. He was a better family member than Rivin ever was.” He told her. “So, yeah, I loved him like family.”

His speech made her face morph from confusion to understanding, and, a moment later, she threw herself into Astero's arms. "Oh." She said dumbly.

“Yeah.” He replied, holding her. “I have been here before, and the only useful advice the elders ever gave me was to be strong. To keep focusing on the task at hand.” He explained, gazing into her eyes. “So, I am going to stop Rivin. I don’t care how, but I will.”

She held him closely for a moment, eyes closed, breaths steady. "I don't know what I'm doing, Astero. I feel so lost. All I know with certainty is that I can't lose you."

He rubbed her back. “Then, make sure I stay up.” He told her. “I will charge through whatever it takes to stop Rivin. You just keep me going.”

"You have a lot more confidence in my healing than I do." She said. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

“You will figure it out. I know you will.” He said, looking down at her slightly. “You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

She pushed up onto her toes, and kissed him softly, lingering there for several moments. She pulled away whispering, "I love you. I'm sorry."

He held her close for several moments. “I love you.” He told her, resting his forehead on hers. “And, don’t be sorry. It sucks dealing with all of this, I know what it's like. You don’t have to apologize.”

"Thank you." She sighed. "Let's go to The Rook."

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I have questions I need answered.” He took her hand as they started to walk.

She held his hand, squeezing it in support as they walked. She was quiet and thoughtful not speaking, but her eyes were on the swivel, looking for any signs that might cause suspicions.

He walked closely next to Magdiana, looking out as well. He was more on edge now than ever. He was looking at every person as an enemy, and, even as they entered The Rook, he was trying not to worry about every passerby.

Already, the inn looked better than it had. Raze had been busy. "Raze?" Mag called out, searching for the woman.

Raze walked out from behind the bar, and motioned for them to join her. “Come here. He will be arriving soon.” She quietly instructed them.

Magdiana practically pulled Astero to the bar. "Can I get a small something to take the edge off? Please?"

Raze nodded. “Yeah, we all need one.” She said pouring three glasses, and handing one to each of them. “Come on.” She told them, leading them down to the room under the building they had been to only once before.

Magdiana pointed to the runes on the wall. "Those didn't work. Rivin seemed to know what we talked about down here."

Raze nodded. “The runes aren’t meant to keep information from getting out. They are meant to be a gateway.” She explained, taking a sip of her drink.

“A gateway?” Astero asked. “To where?”

“From here, to Yutan.” She told him. “It’s where The King is at.”

"That, actually makes sense." Magdiana surmised. "The dead wouldn't last very long in a place like Asesh."

“No, they wouldn’t. Nor would the people want to see them.” She half-heartedly chuckled.

Magdiana sipped her drink. "It's not seeing them that's bad. It's sensing them." She shivered.

“Or, the fact that they would make more dead.” Astero added.

Raze nodded. “That too.” She nodded, pointing a finger before the runes began to glow a bit. “Well, it looks like he is coming. You will want to stand up for him.” She explained, standing up, and facing the center of the room.

Magdiana placed her glass down, and stood, looking at Astero before watching Raze to see what she did. She suddenly felt nervous. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.

Astero stood, and looked towards the center of the room. He was unsure of what to expect. He just knew that the creature coming was strong. The King wasn’t there yet, but he could sense that already. He felt his stomach drop, and readied himself for the arrival of the lich.

The runes glowed for several long seconds before they emitted an ethereal blue flash of light. The temperature of the room suddenly dropped as the heat left like a candle being snuffed out. Standing in the center of the room was a tall, thin figure. He was covered in elegantly stitched robes of varying shades of blue with white accents. He had silvery white armor covering small bits of his waist and chest with crystals of ice and frost protruding from parts. Where arms should have been, only two floating gauntlets were held aloft by some foreign arcane means, and, where his head should have been, the floating upper half of a skull rested with ice forming a frozen crown on his head. A set of glowing ethereal blue orbs that were his eyes scanned the three of them before coming to rest on Raze. A voice emanated from his direction, but he had no jaw to move. “Hello, Raze. It has been a while.” He stated with an eerie lilt to his voice as he moved in to hug her. “I do wish it was under better circumstances.”

"As always, it is a pleasure." Raze told him. "May I sit? It has been a draining day."

“By all means, it is your building.” He toldher, waving a hand before turning to Astero and Magdiana. “Hello, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Magdiana.” He greeted, raising a gauntlet for her to shake.

Magdiana eyed the gauntlet for just a second before reaching out to shake it. Might as well add another surreal experience to her feathered hat for the day. The feeling was literally chilling, and raised the hairs on the back of her neck. "Nice to meet you." She offered, feeling like the greeting lacked much of what she wanted to convey.

He nodded before turning his head to Astero. “Hello, Astero. It has been a while since we last saw one another; you were just an infant.” He sighed. “You have grown quite a bit.” He added, extending a hand.

Astero extended a hand without actually thinking. “Hello." He murmured, trailing off in thought and confusion.

Magdiana sat down a bit heavily, picking up her liquor glass and eyeing it. She took another sip before looking up at Astero. She glanced at Raze, and finally towards The King. "Can I just be the first to say fuck this month?"

The King turned his head towards Magdiana, and nodded. “I am sorry for all of the trouble you have gone through this past month. I can only imagine how trying it must have been for the two of you.” He with a mildly apologetic tone, turning his head to look at the young couple.

Astero sat down, and slumped back in the seat. “Close to actual hell.” He sighed.

The King shook his head. “Not by a long shot.” He told him. “Hellish, yes. But not Hell.”

Magdiana chuckled a bit at the comment. "Sorry for interrupting again, but, before we get too far into this, there's a pretty good chance we're being scryed on again." She pointed between herself and Astero. "We obviously were last time we were down here."

For a moment, it almost looked like The King smiled. He waved a hand, and touched them. "There, now, no one will be able to overhear our conversation." He assured them, sitting down next to Raze.

"Thank you." She told him, looking to Astero before turning to Raze and The King. She didn't know what to say, so she just remained quiet, letting them take the lead.

The King let out a sigh. "I am sorry for all of the trouble that Rivin has caused you all. It is not fair what he has done to you. No one should have to go through what has happened." He apologized, looking at each one individually.

Astero nodded before he looked at The King. "Thank you. It is nice to hear that, but I do have a question for you. Why does my brother hate you so much?" He asked him seriously.

The King sat up a bit straighter, and looked at Astero intently. "He is not happy that your parents gave their lives to keep mine going." He explained. His words were simple, and his tone direct and blunt.

Astero looked over The King intently. He was a hard one to read, but he could tell he wasn't lying. He sat back in his chair, and sniffled a bit. He hung his head. "I can understand why. I'm mad." He glared at the lich. "But, I don't know what you do, so, please, explain it to us." He nearly demanded.

The King nodded. "I can do that. You deserve to know." He told him. "As you know, I am a Lich. An undead. By all accounts, I should not be here. I should be off causing trouble, but I am different in that regard. I don't stay alive for my own well being. I stay alive for everyone. Undead in the world cause problems. They make more undead. It causes a cascading effect that, if not kept in check, would destroy the world.” He paused, letting his words sink in for a moment. “I keep them at bay. Countries send as many undead as they can to me, and I keep them locked away. Where as other liches take souls, I get offered souls. A soul that is offered is far stronger than a soul that is taken.” He explained seriously.

"Sweet Mask, and Rivin just wants to get rid of you? Is he stupid?" Magdiana deadpanned.

“He couldn’t kill me if he wanted to. He wants to get rid of the idea of me.” The King replied. “Which is almost as bad.”

"This gets more complicated by the minute." She sighed.

“It sounds far more complicated than what it actually is.” The King replied. “Rivin thinks he is smart, but he is not nearly as smart as me. In all honesty, Magdiana, you are smarter than Rivin.” He told her, turning his head to her.

Magdiana eyed him before looking away. "Thank you. I'm flattered, but that guy makes me feel like a fucking idiot."

“He is not as smart as you think he is. Is he good at strategy. Oh, yes, but, in terms of overall intelligence, he is lacking. He doesn’t even know that you two have the keys to The Raven.” The King explained in a chipper tone.

“Wait, what? What do you mean the keys?” Astero asked confused.

“The Raven is a magical ship, and anyone can use it, assuming the know infernal or the command words. But, without the sword and dagger that go with it, the ship will only work at a quarter of it’s full potential.” The King stated with a small chuckle before turning to Raze. “Wake was smart giving them those.”

Raze nodded. “He was always smart. His ego just got in the way from time to time.” She half smiled, half frowned.

Magdiana looked to Astero, and, then, to the dagger that Wake had given her. "Great. More reason for him to try to sink his teeth into us."

“He has no idea that they are needed. He thinks he has won. He has the ship- for now.” The king told her.

"For now?" She asked, getting a small smirk to pull at the corners of her lips. "This is going to be good, isn't it?"

“Yes.” The King said, turning his head to look like he was smiling. “I take it he probably wants to meet with you in the near future. It will more than likely be his own victory gift to himself.” He surmised, looking to Astero. “Simply follow his ‘plan’, and he will set himself up for failure. When the time comes, you will know when to strike. It will be painfully obvious.” He laughed.

“You are having far too much fun with this.” Astero said, looking him over. “Like this is a game to you.”

The King looked at Astero intently almost looking through him. “I do not play games.” He told him firmly. “Not when lives are at stake. This is revenge. Rivin thought he could take me out and use you two to do it. He still believes he can win. He won’t. He never will.”

"Do I get to stab him in this plan of yours?" She asked seriously. "Because you already got rid of the assholes that spied on us for our whole lives, and I've got some aggression to work out."

The King nodded. “Of course. It would be rude if I didn’t let you.” He turned his head to Astero. “Do you mind stabbing your sibling?” He asked the young man.

“I will take his head off, if you like.” He told him. “He might be related to me, but he is not my family.” Astero stated, looking at Magdiana.

Magdiana reached over, taking Astero's hand. She blushed prettily at the implication of Astero's words. She looked over to Raze, and actually saw a little bit of excitement in her face, which was nice to see. But, Magdiana couldn't look at The King. She didn't think she could read his face anyway. Her eyes met Astero's, but she couldn't summon the words. So, she just squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Astero smiled, and squeezed her hand back before looking up at The King. “I have no qualms with it. I just want to make sure that Mag’s family is kept safe. I don’t want another death other than Rivins.” He told the lich.

The King nodded deeply. “If he gets anywhere close to that house, we won’t have to worry about this plan anymore. He will be gone.” He stated seriously.

“Good.” Astero sighed in relief.

"Serious question." Magdiana whispered.

“Serious answer.” The King replied.

She looked at him as she spoke now. "Before all the crazy started, both he and I," Magdiana pointed between herself and Astero again, "either saw or felt the presence of one of your charges nearby. How did one get in Astero's house? I've been trying to figure it out, and I'm coming up short."

“An undead mouse.” He told her simply. “If it breathes, there is an undead version of it.” He shrugged.

Magdiana burst into laughter. She looked at Astero, and laughed harder. "You were kept awake by a mouse." She wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye. "That's hilarious."

“It was really loud!” Astero replied.

The King nodded. “If I'm not mistaken, is was skeletal in nature, so it would be louder.” He added.

"Oh." Magdiana suddenly grew quiet from her previous laughter. "Oh." She looked to The King. "I- just realized," she gulped, worrying her hair with a hand. "Thank you."

The King tilted his head a bit, and turned to Astero. “You still must be a pretty light sleeper.”

Astero hung his head in defeat. “Yeah, I can be.” He sighed.

Magdiana lightly backhanded Astero in the arm. "Will you thank him, you idiot. He just said anything that breathes has a fucking undead version."

“Oh. Uh, thank you.” He said to The King.

“Do not worry. It is very difficult for some of those to become undead. I haven’t seen them all, which is a good thing.” The King explained, waving his hands for them to relax.

Magdiana sat quietly for just a moment before she finally asked. "How do you decide what people to take? What sets them apart?"

The King looked at her. “I do not take. I ask. I look for people who are overall good natured, and try not to harbor grudges. People who are genuinely nice, down to earth people.” He told her. “Like I said before, offering a soul is much stronger than taking. So, if I am not careful about who I ask, they could corrupt me.”

"The files make sense now." Magdiana whispered, thinking about all of the contents she'd found inside of hers and Astero's.

“Yes. I try to do research on who I ask.” He nodded.

"So, were the contents of our files for Rivin or for you?" She asked.

“Both. I looked for what was needed. He looked for what he wanted.” The King told her. “Sorry he violated your privacy.” He apologized with a somber tone. “That should not have been done.”

Magdiana shrugged. "It's done. I'm over it. Can't exactly take it back."

Astero nodded. “Yeah, it happened, but we got over it.”

The King nodded. “Thank you. I am glad you two are so strong.”

"This past month hasn't exactly made us feel strong." She replied honestly. "Far from it."

“Trust me when I say this, you two are far stronger than you realize.” He told them. “Rivin tried to keep you two apart. Yet, you kept going back to one another. Clearly, you are stronger together than apart, and Rivin is afraid of that. Keep working to get stronger, and you two will beat him thoroughly.”

Magdiana squeezed Astero's hand again. "It seemed like he'd given up on separating us from his last few messages, but it's hard to tell."

Astero smiled at Magdiana. “He said that he was glad we were together.”

The King nodded, and leaned in a bit. “It is a bluff. I hate to say that, but it is true. He would not have tried to keep you apart if he was going to let you stay together.”

"Thank you." She responded, looking to Astero. "We'll be sure to be on our toes, then."

“Yeah, he will have trouble taking us by surprise.” Astero looked back at Magdiana.

“Good.” The King stated with a firm, and solid nod. “Do you have any other questions for me?”

"Two, actually, now that I'm thinking about it." Magdiana nodded.

“Ask away.” The King replied simply.

"Who were the people that attacked Astero and I the day before we left Evermore? And, were you the cause of the blizzard?" She asked quickly.

"The blizzard was cover. Very hard to see undead in a blizzard. And, I was the one who sent the men. I needed to get you away from town.” He told them.

She hummed, nodding. "Thanks for that. Made the cleric juju start working."

“You’re welcome, and sorry for sending them.” He told her apologetically.

Magdiana looked at Astero. "I have no other fully formed questions at the moment. You?"

“Do you want us to help keep you alive?” Astero asked morbidly.

The King sighed, and looked at Astero. “I can not ask you to do that. Your parents wanted you to live a long and happy life, so I will not let you do that.” He told him honestly.

Astero nodded. “Thank you. I am glad they wanted to keep me safe.” He smiled, wiping away a tear.

Magdiana's hand gripped Astero's tighter. "They wanted you to have a long happy life." She didn't say the rest of what she was thinking. Her eyes met The King's in understanding.

The King nodded slightly at Magdiana, and looked towards Astero. “Yes, they did, and they are very proud of you.” He assured him, resting his hand on his.

Magdiana looked away from The King, and yawned. "Well, today has been exhausting. We done here?"

“Yeah, I have no more questions.” Astero sighed, feeling exhausted himself.

The King nodded, looking at the two of them. “Okay, then. Go get some sleep. I still need to talk to Raze about a few personal things. Sleep well, you two. It was nice finally meeting you.” He said, shaking both of their hands.

"Nice to meet you." Magdiana said, shaking his hand. Her other hand still holding Astero's.

“Yes, it was nice to put a face to a name.” Astero chuckled.

The King laughed, and nodded. “Yes. Well, in my case, it’s more of a skull.” He chuckled.

"I'm sure you have your mother's eyes or some such." Magdiana joked back.

“Yes, I have her cheek bones.” The King laughed.

Magdiana grabbed Astero tightly, walking out the door and upstairs. When the air started to warm, she sighed. "I love you." She whispered.

“I love you.” He whispered back, leaning against her lightly.

She took a shuddering breath, trying to stave off tears. "Let's go home."

“Yeah, let’s.” He said, leading her back to the house as they silently walked back.

Magdiana didn't speak for the entire walk. Her mind was too busy. She felt numb all over. She was scared, but she wasn't angry. She couldn't even summon the energy or wherewithal to try to prevent what she'd just learned. She looked at Astero. She was more worried about him than herself. She just wanted Astero to be okay. He'd already lost so many people. She knew he wouldn't take it well if he found out. She sighed, feeling exhausted and resigned. There wasn't much else she could do. She'd already accepted it in almost the instant she'd realized the truth.

Astero got undressed, and laid down in bed. He opened the covers for Magdiana to sleep next to him. “Today has been too long.” He sighed, resting his head on a pillow.

Magdiana stripped down quickly joining him. "Yeah, it has." She smiled wanly at him.

“I'm glad you are here.” He whispered to her. His eyes closing as he quickly fell asleep.

Magdiana waited until long after Astero's breaths had evened out into the steady breaths of rest before she quietly let her tears fall. She cried for many reasons. For Wake, for Astero, for herself and her family. She sniffled, wiping the salty tears away before exhaustion took her, and the comfort of Astero's arms finally allowed her to rest.

Astero woke up, and made breakfast. It was his last day off, and he didn’t really have any plans. So, he was going to make sure he spent the day with Magdiana.

Magdiana was awoken to breakfast in bed. It startled her awake, but, thankfully, she had no weapons on her. "As?" She asked groggily as she processed who'd woken her.

“Yeah, it’s only me. Made breakfast for you.” He explained, placing the plate close to her. “Sorry to startle you.”

"It's fine." She yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh. I slept like shit."

“Everything all right? I mean besides the obvious.” He asked her seriously.

She shrugged. "All the obvious things kept me up last night. Had a good cry, to be honest."

“Sorry.” He said kissing her lightly. “Yesterday was bad for everyone.” He sighed.

"Yeah." She sighed, taking a bite of food, and chewing slowly. She quickly found that she just wasn't that hungry, but forced herself to eat something for Astero. "Shit. We have to work tomorrow. I'm not ready."

He nodded. “Yeah. I'm not, but I'm going to try.” He told her honestly.

"Can we just do nothing today? Like, I probably would've offered to go adventure, but I feel like we've had enough excitement for a week." She grumbled.

“That’s fine by me. Sitting back and doing nothing is the best thing I have heard all week.” He nodded, taking another bite of his food.

She took another bite of food, and sighed. "This is delicious, but I can't do it." She pushed the plate away.

He nodded. “It’s fine. As long as you get something into you, I will be happy. If you are hungry, just let me know, okay?” He asked her, taking her plate for her.

"I will. Promise." She sighed again, looking away from him. "I'm sorry."

“It’s fine.” He told her honestly. “It’s not your fault.”

"Yeah." She sighed again, drawing out the word. She hopped out of bed, stealing one of his shirts, and rejoining him on the bed. She laid down again. "This is nice."

“It is. It is needed.” He said finishing his food, and going to wash it. He came back a few minutes later, and sat down next to her. Enjoying her comforting presence.

Magdiana curled into his arms, closing her eyes firmly before she whispered. "I'm scared, Astero."

“Scared? Scared of what?” He asked her.

She chose her words carefully. "The future."

He held her tightly, and gave her a light kiss. “Don’t worry. We will get through it together. As a team.”

"That's what I was afraid you were going to say." She whispered. "He's going to pull us apart."

“Wait. What? Who is going to pull us apart?” He asked her seriously.

She gulped, realizing she'd said too much. "Rivin. Sounded like he'd try to sabotage us yesterday."

“He won’t.” He told her seriously. “We are going to stop him.” He stated firmly, holding her close to him.

"We will." She determined, kissing him softly. "I love you."

“I love you.” He told her, giving her a soft kiss in kind. He simply held her, wanting to relax with her by his side.

"Let's get an adventuring job next weekend. We're going to need to be a lot stronger to deal with your brother." She whispered.

“Yeah. We will do that.” He told her. “Rivin will be stopped.”

She buried her head into his chest, smelling his comforting scent. "As?"

“Yes, Mag?” He asked her.

"Distract me? Please." She begged. "Let's- make pasta or play cards or- I don't know, but please help me. I can't get out of my own head."

“Okay, I can do that.” He told her, standing up, and grabbing her hand. He gently brought her downstairs, and into the kitchen. He sat her down in a chair, and pulled out a few glasses. He set them on the table, and pulled out a deck of cards. “Let’s play cards.” He said, shuffling the deck.

She looked at the glasses. "What do you want to drink?"

“Well, we don’t have any alcohol, so I will just have some juice.” He smiled.

"We need alcohol." She grumbled, getting him some juice and herself milk.

“Yeah. I will get some on the way home tomorrow.” He told her, dealing some cards to her.

She nodded. "Thank you. What are we playing?"

“Go fish.” He chuckled.

"Gods, I think the last time I played that I was six." She laughed.

“Yeah, actually I think I was in that game.” He smiled at her.

She thought about it. "I remember, now. That was the day you pulled my hair and I bit you."

“Uh, yeah it was. That left a mark.” He chuckled.

"I did?" She asked curiously.

He nodded, and lifted his leg, showing a set of fading teeth marks. “Yeah, the first of many marks.” He chuckled.

She frowned. "I'm so sorry." Her eyes moved over his body, seeing a few of the marks she'd left. "I guess that, in the end, I was just claiming you as my own."

“Don’t be sorry.” He told her. “Pretty sure I left my own share of marks on you, and, yeah, I guess you were.” He laughed.

"I figured out what tattoo I want next." She told him.

“Oh, really? What's that?” He asked her curiously.

She smirked. "Just some waves."

“Waves?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow. “And, what else?”

"A ship." She told him. "To remind us of your uncle." She winked.

He closed his eyes, and shook his head a bit. “Of course, you would.” He smiled at her.

"It's going right on my ass." She joked.

“I can’t tell if Wake would like it, or hate it.” He joked back.

"He'd be angry for a bit and then flattered." She told him resolutely. "I'll probably put it on my other shoulder."

“Yeah, that is a good spot.” He nodded. “Not sure Raze would like you having a tramp stamp to remember her late husband.” He chuckled.

Magdiana laughed. "It would be on my ass. Not my lower back. He was a pain in the ass."

“A good reminder.” He laughed. “I am glad you are not putting it on your ass. I don’t want someone touching it.” He laughed, taking a sip of his juice.

She drew a card. "Figured as much. That's your real estate."

Astero set a pair to the side, and drew a card. “Yes it is. Do you have any threes?” he asked her.

"Go fish." She told him. "Astero?"

He drew a card, and looked at her. “Yeah?”

"If what happened to Wake happened to me, I'd want you to move on. Be happy." She told him.

He paused for a minute, looking her over before he nodded. “I would certainly try. It wouldn’t be easy, but I would try.” He told her. “What’s with the sudden deep insight?”

"Yesterday made me feel very mortal." She told him honestly.

“I understand. Don’t worry, though, we have plenty of time.” He told her honestly. “It will be a long time before that happens.”

"I hope so." She reached across the table, and squeezed his hand. "Do you have any jack's?" She asked.

He smiled at her slightly, and handed her a jack. “Here you go.” He sighed. He was a bit annoyed that it was the card he'd just pulled.

"Thank you kindly, love." She smirked, placing the cards on the table.

He looked at his hand, and looked back at her. “Any tens?” He asked her. “And, do you have any preference for dinner?”

"Whatever's easy for you. You deserve a day off." She told him honestly, handing him her ten. "I was going for that one next round."

He stuck his tongue out at her. “It was what I needed.” He smiled, placing the pair to the side. “Good. Wasn’t really planning on cooking.”

"Good." She sighed, playing a pair when she drew next. "I have another question."

“Okay. I have an answer.” He replied.

"I don't think you do." She chuckled.

“Well, what's the question?” he said shaking his head a bit.

"Marry me?" She asked him quickly.

“Uh.” He stuttered, looking at her, and processing her words for a minute.

She smiled at him. "You can take your time. I don't need an answer immediately."

He shook his head a bit at her. “No, it’s not that. Your mom wanted me to, at least, take our time with this. Yes, I do want to marry you. I just wasn’t expecting it to be so soon.” He told her honestly.

"We're basically in the middle of a war, Astero. We don't have the luxury of time. Rivin could decide to drop the anvil tomorrow. I want all of you, and I want to give you all of me." She told him. "I love you."

He nodded slowly at her. “I love you.” He responded, looking her in the eyes. “Yes, lets get married, nut let’s have your mom marry us. She said she wanted to do it. I hope she says yes.” He sighed a bit.

"She will." She told him confidently, reaching over, and holding his hand. "She wants to be there. Even if things are more complicated than not."

“Yeah, she did say she wants to be there.” He smiled at her. He held her hand, and leaned over to kiss her. “Thank you.” He smiled at her.

She kissed him. "I love you, and thank you. You could have said no. To dating. To marriage. And, I would've accepted it."

“You and I have been through so much together. Blizzards, conspiracies, even the craziest relationship I have ever heard of.” He smiled at her. “What is one more step?” He asked rhetorically.

Her hand squeezed his. "Together until the end." She whispered.

“Until the end.” He whispered back. His hand squeezing hers.

"Now, do you have any fours?" She winked.

“Go fish.” He winked back.

She laughed, drawing a card. "Damn."

He laughed as well. “Got any aces?”

"I remember why I bit you that night." She handed him the card.

“And, yet, if this was poker, you would be beating me senseless.” He chuckled.

She chuckled. "I do have a flush in my hand right now."

He thought it over in his head, and quickly looked at his cards. “Can you count cards? Because that sounds wrong.” He chuckled.

"No." She lied.

“I am really glad we're not playing poker. Especially strip poker. You would be fully clothed, and I would be stark naked.” He shook his head.

"You're not playing strip poker right." She laughed.

“Clearly, but it sounds like I would still be losing.” He smirked.

She eyed him. "I will happily strip you. Poker or otherwise."

He looked over her body. “I know you would. I have seen you do it.” He smirked at her.

"Do you have any queens?" She asked, looking at her hand.

“Just one.” He replied, looking at her intently as he handed her the card.

"You're a saccharine bastard. You know that?" She teased, playing the cards on the table, and doing math in her head. "Fuck. You just won."

He looked at the piles and to their hands. “That is insane that you figured that out so quickly.” He chuckled. “And, yes. I know.” He smirked.

"It's okay. You're my sweet, Astero." She made a face at him.

He leaned in, and kissed her. “And, you are my queen.” He told her.

"I am far, far from royalty." She said to him.

“That isn't true.” He told her honestly. “You have the body for it, and I am pretty sure you could pass yourself off if you wanted to.”

"I'm good with disguises, but I wasn't trained to be refined, As. I might as well have a town caller following me screaming, 'Not royalty! Be not concerned'."

He laughed, and kissed her nose. “You are still a queen to me.” He told her, taking the cards back. “Now, what next?” He asked, putting the cards in the box.

"Chocolate." She smirked.

He thought for a moment, and smirked at her. “It’s a good thing we have some, then.” He told her, standing up, and going to get the sweet. He came back, and handed her the bar of chocolate. “Here you go.” He smiled at her.

"You are a saint." She said, breaking a piece of the bar off, placing it in her teeth, and offering some to him.

He smirked, and leaned in to take the chocolate. He kissed her passionately for a moment before pulling away with the sweet treat in his mouth. “That’s good.” He smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself." She giggled.

He broke a piece off of the bar, and looked at her. “Well, if you want more.” He smirked, placing the piece of chocolate between his teeth. “Come get it.”

She leaned over, stealing half of the chocolate with a bite, and kissing him soundly. She hummed with pleasure as she pulled away. "I could do that all day."

"Nothing is stopping us." He smirked, putting another piece of chocolate in between his teeth.

She giggled, repeating the procedure again. "I'm not complaining either way."

"Good. Because I am fine with doing this." He smirked, relaxing as he did so.

She leaned in, and kissed him thoroughly, starting to crawl over the table to him as she made out with him. Eventually, she pulled her lips away. "I like this table. Nice and sturdy."

“I know you do. It was fun last time.” He smirked, placing a hand on her cheek.

She leaned into his touch. "That feels nice." She sighed. "I love you. Hey, do you want to work on that puzzle? We never finished it."

"Yeah. Let's do that. It would be nice to get a good chunk of it done." He smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

She smiled, stepping off of the table. "Let me go get it. I think it made its way into the living room."

Astero got up, and followed her. "Let's put it together in there, so we can keep the kitchen table clear for eating." He chuckled.

"You said eating. I heard fucking." She laughed.

"We have done both before." He smirked at her.

"We should combine them." She offered.

"Not every time, but it could be fun." He told her honestly, walking behind her, and gently grabbing her ass.

She jumped a bit at his touch, but turned to smirk at him. "I'm game whenever you want to lick me clean." She laughed, sitting down on the couch, and carefully opening the puzzle box, putting the built pieces out on the coffee table.

He sat down beside her, and put the few pieces together. "We might make a mess, but it won't be the worst thing in the world." He smiled at her.

"I honestly can't tell if that was about the food sex or the puzzle." She smiled over at him, starting to sort pieces again.

"Food and sex. The puzzle would get ruined if we did it here." He smiled, putting a piece in its place.

She chuckled. "Well, duh." She started piecing together another boat, but obviously had a few wrong pieces since they weren't coming together. "Do you need sails? These aren't working for me."

He looked at the pieces for a moment before he grabbed a few. “No, but I do need clouds.” He said, fitting one of the pieces into the right place.

"Motherfucker." She muttered. "I should've noticed."

“It’s fine, I only noticed because it had blue on it.” He chuckled.

She kissed his cheek. "Well, thank you for being observant. My hero."

“Anytime. My queen.” He replied, kissing her back in kind, and moving some more pieces around to fit.

"I think that I could get used to being called queen Magdiana." She smiled. She started putting more pieces together when a knock came at the door. She looked to Astero. "Were you expecting someone?"

He shook his head. “No, were you?” He asked her, standing up.

"No. And, I'm not decent." She whispered quickly running up stairs to pull on a pair of bottoms.

Astero walked over to the door while Mag changed. He opened the door. “Hello?” He asked curiously.

"Astero, it's good to see you." Eri smiled at the young man. Jacob was at her side, bouncing in excitement. "I hate to ask this, but Marius and I have to handle some business. Would you mind?"

He nodded, looking at Eri apologetically. “Yeah, we can watch him for a while.” He said, opening the door for Jacob to run in.

“I get to hang out with Mag!” Jacob enthused, running in happily.

"Thank you." Eri told him quietly. "The King needs us to do something. It's not safe to bring him."

He nodded. “It’s fine. If you need him to stay longer, just keep us posted. We will look after him.” Astreo told her confidently.

Magdiana came down from upstairs. "Oh! Hey, Mom. Jacob. I didn't expect you so soon after yesterday."

Eri made a face similar to one of Magdiana's own. "I'm still processing that at the moment, but I know Jacob will be safe with you. See you tonight."

Astero nodded, and waved her off. “See you later.” He said to her before turning to Magdiana and Jacob. “Well, it looks like our plans have changed.” He half-heartedly chuckled.

Magdiana nodded. "Yeah, it sounds like it." She sadly looked at the still incomplete puzzle.

Astero walked up to Magdiana, and brought her to his side. “Your parents need to do something for The King, so we are watching Jacob for them.” He whispered to her.

"Understood." She whispered back, looking to Jacob. "Have you finished your training for today?"

Jacob shook his head at her. “No, we didn't get to do it today. Mom and Dad were busy.” He frowned a bit.

"Then, I guess we're working out." Magdiana smiled at the two of them.

Astreo nodded. “I will help for a bit before I need to go to the store. Wasn’t expecting to feed a monster like Jacob.” He chuckled at her brother.

"Between the three of us, we could eat a horse." She laughed.

“Yeah, let's eat a horse!” Jacob enthused.

Astero shook his head. “As much as I want to cook a horse, we don’t have the coin buddy.” He chuckled.

"It's a figure of speech, bro. We're not actually going to eat a horse." She laughed. "Now, let's go work on Astero's punching bag for a bit before we go for a jog."

“Aw. okay.” Jacob sighed before smiling at the idea of training.

“Don’t worry. I will make sure you are well fed.” Astero smiled at him.

"Just be easy on yourself. Don't go all out, please. I'd be happy with a grilled cheese." She told him honestly.

“I was planning on fast and simple, but still tasty.” He smiled back at her.

She nodded. "Good. Now, let's go work out so that I can show Jacob how real smiting is done."

Astero nodded. “Lead the way. I guess we will figure out where the training area will be.” He chuckled.

She sighed. "I was going to have it be the basement." Magdiana whispered to him.

“Oh.” He grimaced. “Ours can be in the basement, but, for, now we should have one outside. It will help with smites.”

"And conditioning. Still not used to the heat. I may melt out there." She feigned a fainting spell.

Astero chuckled at her. “Then, I guess Jacob will be our guide for that. He is used to the heat.”

Jacob looked at them, and tilted his head. “Heat? It’s not that hot right now. It’s actually nice out.” He told them honestly. “Summer isn't fun though. It gets too hot to do anything, then.” He explained, starting to word vomit.

"Buddy, we were raised where it sometimes snows during the summer. This is hot for us." Magdiana explained calmly not for the first time.

“Just be sure to drink plenty of water, I guess.” Jacob said simply. “And, go swimming a lot. It will cool you down.” He smiled.

Magdiana gave him a fist bump. "Thanks, bro."

The group went outside to train, and, after they had all broken a sweat using the punching bag, Magdiana and Jacob got ready for their jog. "I figured you would shop while we ran. That work?" She asked Astero.

“Yeah, that was my plan.” He smiled at her. “You two go for a jog. When you get back, I will have food ready for you.” He smiled at the two of them.

"Thanks. See you soon." She kissed his cheek.

“See you in a bit.” He said kissing her cheek back, and going to walk out of the house.

Magdiana and Jacob took off at a jog quickly making work of a kilometer before Magdiana asked. "Do you want to keep going?"

Jacob was panting a bit, but nodded. “Yeah, I think I can go for a bit longer.”

"Alright, we'll start to head back. If you need to walk, just tell me." She told him.

Jacob nodded, and looked up to his sister. “Will do.” He told her.

While they jogged, Magdiana thought about the past day some more, and she was so distracted by her thoughts that she bumped into somebody on the street. "Oh! Are you okay?" She asked the man.

"I'm fine, miss." He told her. "Enjoy the rest of your jog."

Magdiana turned around, and easily caught up to Jacob. "Sorry, bud. Didn't mean to fall behind. You okay?"

Jacob nodded. “Yeah, but I think I want to start walking, now.” He said, slowing down a bit.

Magdiana slowed down to a walk. "No problem. You ran for longer than I thought you would."

“Thanks, sis.” He smiled up at her. “I was pushing myself for you.”

"Thanks, Jacob, but you didn't have to." She grabbed his shoulder reassuringly.

“I know, but I want to be strong like you and Astero. You two are awesome! You can do so much cool stuff!” He smiled in awe of his sister.

She smiled. "I'm glad that you think we're so strong. We really have a long way to go, though. You'll get to where we are in no time at all."

“Thanks, sis.” He smiled, leaning against her. “That means a lot.”

"You don't have to thank me. It's true." She told him as they walked up to the front door to the house, unlocking it, and letting Jacob in first. She sniffed the air in the house. "That smells delicious, As!"

“Thank you!” Astero called back. “Now, come in, and sit down. The food is almost ready.” He told them as he finished up the burritos he was working on.

She shooed Jacob to the bathroom to wash his hands, getting three glasses of water, and setting the table. "Thanks, As."

“Don’t worry about it. While I was out, I also got alcohol for later.” He told her quietly, setting the plates down on the table.

"Thank you. I don't like to drink much, but damn it all if I don't need a drink right about now." She told him, taking a seat.

“Trust me, I know the feeling.” He responded, sitting down, and waiting for Jacob to come back before eating.

"What's taking him so long?" Magdiana asked Astero. "It shouldn't take that long to wash his hands." She stood up, and walked towards the bathroom. "Jacob? You okay?"

Jacob slowly walked out of the bathroom, and looked at Magdiana. “Uh, this is for you.” He mumbled, handing her a sealed letter.

Magdiana looked at the seal, and saw an 'R' embellished in the wax. "Son of a bitch." She growled, opening it roughly, and starting to read silently.

<i>Dear Magdiana,

It simultaneously confounds and frustrates me that you insist on destroying these letters, but I suppose that I can't stop you, now. Can I? If there's one thing I have learned about you, it's that, once you get something in that head of yours, you'll follow through with it until the end.

I wanted to thank you and Astero for sending Wake out to meet me. Now that I've successfully procured The Raven, let's celebrate. As a family. I'll meet you and Astero in a month's time for dinner at your place.

Now, go ahead and burn this. I know you will.

Congratulations, by the way.

  
Your brother,  
Rivin</i>

"As?!" Magdiana called out, crumpling the letter in her hands as she ran down to show him.

Astero looked at Magdiana, and the letter she handed him. He looked it over quickly before he crushed the letter into a small ball. He looked up at her, and, then, to Jacob. He sighed. He knew this was planned. “Eat up, Jacob. There is plenty here. I need to go up stairs, and take care of something.” He told them, standing up, and walking up to the bedroom.

Magdiana looked to Astero, trying to convey without words, 'Should I go with you or stay here?'

He waved a hand at her, letting her know to relax. "Just need to update my arsenal.” He told her.

Magdiana nodded, sitting down with Jacob, and slowly starting to eat. "How's it taste?" She asked conversationally as she watched Astero leave the room, wondering what he was doing.

Jacob smiled as he ate his burrito. “It’s delicious!”

Astero walked into the bedroom, and pulled out Wake's sword. He placed it down in front of him, and began to bond with it. He drew runes on the ground in chalk, and began to meticulously get used to the weight and shape of the blade. After an hour, the runes on the ground glowed, and disappeared. Astero put the blade on the bed, and summoned it to his hand. He nodded, and put the blade back, walking back down the stairs. “Sorry about that. It took longer than expected.” He told them.

Magdiana eyed him. "No, I expect it took as long as it usually does. Now, please eat."

“Yeah, I am hungry.” He replied, digging into his cold burrito, but not with gusto.

"Did you figure out what it does exactly?" She asked him. She looked at her own dagger, and hummed. "Maybe, should try the same with mine."

“No, was only making sure that it was bound to me, was all. I will find out later.” He told her.

She gripped the dagger in her hand, and moved to hold it under the table, concentrating on it a bit while Astero ate. "You want to be able to get it back if you know who finds out about it."

“Exactly.” Astero told her with a smile. “So, Jacob did you enjoy my cooking?” He asked her brother.

Jacob lifted his head up off the table, and nodded. “Yeah. It was good!” He smiled clearly tired.

"I did, too. You overdid it, but it was delicious. Thank you." She smiled.

“I actually didn’t.” Astero told her honestly. “The hardest part was cooking the food. The wrapping was easy.”

"Alright." She smiled at him. "Jacob, what do you want to do? More training or cards?"

He raised his head, and looked at his sister. “I think a nap would be nice.” He told her honestly.

She nodded. "A nap sounds good." She stood up, and held out a hand for him. "Come on. We'll get you settled in on the couch."

“Thank you.” He mumbled as he followed her to the couch to lay down.

She let him settle in, grabbing a blanket and draping it over him before kissing his forehead. "Sleep well, buddy."

“Thank you.” He silently smiled as he passed out.

Magdiana rubbed his back as he fell asleep, wishing that there was something she could do to protect him better from what would come in the future. She eventually stood up, and rejoined Astero at the table. "I'm such a shitty sister. I wish I could protect him."

“No, you are not.” He told her, holding her hand. “You are a great sister. You will keep him safe; we will keep him safe.” He told her.

"We're the reason he's not safe." She sighed, looking down into her lap. She gestured the dagger she was holding. "I think I'm starting to get something."

“Well, don’t go into details, but any good?” He asked her

She nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah. Not something that would be great for me, but Wake would find it useful."

“Good.” He said finishing his meal, and going to wash the plate. “We can train with them later.” He told her, scrubbing the few dishes.

"I definitely want to see what yours does sometime, knowing what mine does." She told him, standing up to wash hers and Jacob's plates and glasses. She sighed as she scrubbed them. "I hate dishes."

“I know you do, which is why I didn't ask you to do these.” He told her, moving her to the side. “I will take care of them.”

She remained at his side. "You already do so much. Compared to you, I do nothing."

“You do plenty.” He turned to face her. “You can do the laundry. I still have some to do.” He frowned a bit.

"It's in the hamper, yeah?" She asked.

“Yes. Thank you.” He smiled at her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

She accepted the kiss, and walked towards the stairs. "I'll get it started."

“Thank you.” He smiled at her.

She returned a few minutes later. "It's soaking."

“Again, thank you.” He told her, finishing the few dishes.

"I always find laundry calming." She told him honestly. "More calming than dishes."

“I find that, with dishes, you get rid of the filth in your life by scrubbing it all away.” He explained, sitting down at the table.

She giggled. "There's scrubbing with laundry too, but there's no gross stuck on foodstuff unless someone has a really bad day."

“At least, I don't need to deal with cum stains.“ He chuckled quietly.

She laughed at that. "If that's what you're worried about, then, I understand why you don't like laundry."

“Had a roommate, once.” He told her honestly. “Never again. Besides you, of course.” He smiled at her.

"Oh, that's vile. Why the fuck was it. You know what? I'm not finishing that sentence." She made a face.

“My thoughts exactly.” He nodded. He sat back in the chair, and sighed, looking around the house. “At least, I got a great upgrade since then.” He smiled, squeezing her hand a bit.

She smiled in return, moving to sit in his lap. "This is more than I ever imagined I would have. I'm glad that I get to share it with you."

“So am I.” He told her, giving her a kiss. “I love you.”

"And, I you, my knight." She told him quietly, kissing his forehead. She heard the sound of knocking coming from the front door. "Wow. They were faster than I thought."

“Yeah, they were.” He replied, lifting her off of him, and moving to answer the door. “Hello?” He asked as he opened the door.

"Astero." Eri greeted, looking past him to her daughter. "Mag. How was Jacob?"

Magdiana sighed, looking to the boy on the couch. "We had a little excitement earlier, to he honest." Magdiana told her honestly.

"What happened?" Eri said, walking inside, and speaking quietly.

Astero closed the door, and looked to Eri. “Rivin left us a note with Jacob.” He explained, sitting down at the table.

"We were training. It's my fault. I'm sorry." Magdiana explained quickly.

Eri nodded, looking to the sleeping boy. "It's fine, and it's not your fault. It's Rivin's."

“Sorry.” Astero told her. “He's my sibling.” He sighed.

Eri held out a hand, grabbing Astero's. "Blood isn't everything. That much, I can tell." She told him.

“I know, but I still feel the need to apologize. He tore your family apart.” He responded sadly. “I’m sorry that it happened.”

She patted his hand. "Stop apologizing. You brought her back to us. Unlike your relative."

“Thank you.” He replied, hugging her.

"Mom?" Magdiana asked Eri.

“Yes?” She asked to her daughter.

Magdiana looked at Astero for a moment. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Eri nodded. “Yes, of course. Is everything alright?” She asked as they went into a different room.

Magdiana hugged her mother tightly to her, silently and tearlessly sobbing. "No." She murmured quietly.

“What's wrong?” She asked a little hesitantly.

"I met The King yesterday." She told her quietly not pulling away from the hug. "Astero asked if he wanted us to offer to help him. The King told him that his parents wanted him to live a long happy life."

Eri rubbed her back, and sniffled a bit. “And, what did he say about you?” She asked nervously.

"I knew what he meant by that. I couldn't ask, so he just nodded." She explained.

“Does Astero know?” She asked her, trying to be calm.

"No. I couldn't tell him. I think he'd lose it." She whispered, breathing slowly and methodically. "I won't tell him no Mom."

She closed her eyes, processing what she heard. “So, you would rather just disappear one day than tell him?” She asked her.

She shook her head. "I just can't tell him so soon after Wake. He was like family."

Eri nodded, holding Mag close to her. “Please, just don’t wait too long.” She responded, looking at Mag.

"With my track record, I'll word vomit it next time I get flustered." She laughed, pausing only for a moment. "Will you marry us? Please?"

She took a step back from Magdiana. “This soon?” She asked seriously.

"I mean, not today, but I just want to make the most of what I've got." Magdiana sniffed. Her eyes were starting to water.

Eri grabbed Magdiana's cheeks, and kissed her forehead. “Of course, I will. I would be honored.” She sniffled. “Just name the day.”

"I have no idea." Magdiana said honestly.

Eri chuckled. “Then, just give me a few days heads up. Okay?” She asked, wiping a tear from Magdiana's cheek.

"Okay." Magdiana nodded. "Can you tell Dad? I don't think I can do it again."

She nodded. “Yes, I can, but he will want to talk to you about it.” She told her daughter honestly. “Hells, I want to talk more about it, but it is neither the right time or the place.” She sighed deeply, trying her best to not cry.

"We'll talk. Soon. I'm- still processing myself." She responded honestly, swiping hair out of her face.

“Okay.” She nodded, giving Magdiana a big hug. She stood up straight, and looked at her. “Anything else?” She asked seriously.

"Nothing else. I just wanted someone to talk to, Mom. It's been the scariest day of my life." She sighed, slumping over a bit.

“You can always talk to me, Mag.” Eri assured her. “About anything at all.”

Magdiana looked at her mother for a long moment. "Thank you. I have no other deep revelations today. But, maybe, tomorrow. Seems like normal for me lately."

Eri chuckled. “Then, let’s not keep your fiance waiting. He might start asking questions.”

"I'm not going to get used to that word. Boyfriend is still surreal." She laughed, rejoining Astero in the living room. "Hey." She greeted anticlimactically.

“Hey. Everything go alright?” He asked the ladies.

"Yeah. Uh, Mom agreed to marry us. We just have to choose the when." Magdiana smiled softly.

“Thank you.” Astero said to Eri.

Eri pulled Astero into a hug. "You're welcome, son." She told him in a voice as firm as the hug.

Astero paused at her words, relaxing into the hug. He stayed there for a moment before he pulled away. “Thank you. It has been far too long since I heard that.”

"Welcome to the family." Eri told him, pulling away, and looking to the still sleeping Jacob.

“Sorry about that. The burritos were good.” Astero chuckled, looking at Jacob.

Magdiana chuckled beside him. "He ate, like, four."

"He'll be out like a light for the night." Eri laughed. "And, lucky Mom gets to carry him."

“At least, he will be quiet for the rest of the day.” Astero said in a happy tone.

"Yes, it will be nice to have some time with Marius tonight." Eri nodded, looking to Magdiana, and, then, Astero. She leaned over, and picked up Jacob without much hesitation before heading out the door. "Goodnight, you two."

“Goodnight.” Astero smiled at her.

"Night." Mag sighed, locking the door behind her mother, and leaning against it before sliding to the ground. "Why was that so hard?"

He sat on the ground in front of her, holding her hands. “We have had a long, shitty few days. Everything seems harder.” He told her honestly.

"I almost wish we could be back in Yutan. It was boring there. I'd kill for boring right now." Magdiana sighed.

“If you want, I could angrily glare at you from a distance while you stare at me longingly.” He told her. “If that would help you feel better.” He offered.

"No, no. I'm happy with what we have. I'm just a mess, As." She told him, looking into his eyes, and wondering if she should just tell him the truth. "I love you."

“I love you.” He replied, giving her a small kiss. “Let’s get you a shower then. It will make you less messy.” He smiled, standing up, and offering her his hand.

She took his hands, and stood. "Two things first." She held up to fingers and ticked them off as she spoke. "One, laundry. Two, alcohol."

Astero smiled, and nodded. “You go get the laundry. I will get the alcohol.” He said, kissing her cheek.

Magdiana smiled before walking off to deal with their clothes before returning to the kitchen. "They are hanging to dry." She announced.

He poured the drinks, and handed her a glass. “And alcohol.” He told her.

"Thank you." She told him, taking the glass, and idly playing with it before taking a drink. "That's strong." She suddenly hiccuped.

“I figured you would want strong.” He told her honestly.

"I do." She took a seat next to him, leaning into him. "Astero?" She asked him softly.

“Yes?” He asked, brushing her hair.

She sighed. "I don't want to lie to you." She took a drink.

“Lie to me?” he said looking at her curiously. “What about?”

"Something happened yesterday." She sighed. "With The King. I didn't want to tell you."

Astero thought the conversation over from the over day in his head, and shook his head a bit. “I don’t remember anything. What are you talking about?”

"You asked The King if he wanted us as offerings." She told him, taking another drink.

“Yeah, and he said he didn’t want us.” He told her.

"He said your parents wanted you to have a long and happy life." She countered.

He tried to remember the conversation clearer. He looked at her oddly. “No,” he trailed off.

"Yeah." She winced, drinking again.

He moved away from her a bit, and leaned his head into his hands. “Just say no.” He begged, looking at her seriously.

"I won't." She told him honestly.

“Why not?” He asked almost pleadingly. “There are probably hundreds of others who he can choose from. You don’t have to be the first pick.”

She sighed, looking down into her glass, but into his eyes when she spoke. "I know that, but, if he asks, I won't say no. Because I'm not selfish enough to think that my life is more important than the whole world. And, As... I'm not angry."

He looked at her, and hung his head, staying quiet for a long moment. “I’m not angry either. I'm disappointed.” He told her honestly, with tears in his eyes. “I understand, wanting to protect the world. I do, but I don't want to lose you.” He told her. “Because, a world without you in it isn’t a world worth protecting.”

"As," she had tears in her eyes now. Her hand reached out to his, rubbing the back of it gently. "If you were handed a death sentence, how would you feel? Honestly?"

“It’s not a death sentence. It’s a choice.” He told her, moving his hand from her. “You have a choice in this. You don’t have to die!” He shouted, and his voice broke with emotion.

"Astero." Her voice wavered. "Please, just answer the question."

“I would fight it.” He told her honestly. “There isn’t always option A, or option B. We choose what we want in this world.”

She nodded. "Okay." Her hand remained near his to hold if necessary. "And what if my choice is to make sure this world is safe for you to live in? What if my choice is to watch over you. Defend you. Like I've always done. Just, in a different way?"

He looked at her seriously and fought back tears. “Then, I think you have given up on living.” He replied, standing up, and going to the door.

"Astero, please don't leave." She begged him, standing up, and following after him. "Please, I need you to understand. I'm not giving up on anything. I just-"

“You don’t know what you want.” He told her honestly. “I know what I want, and I know you.” He told her. “I will be back, I just need time.” He growled, opening the door.

Magdiana's lips pursed, and her bottom lip quivered. "Okay." She mumbled quietly resigned, letting him leave.

Astero nodded, and shut the door behind him as he left. He walked for a few minutes before he began to run as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn’t know where. He just needed to get away.

Magdiana sighed, finishing her liquor, and finding parchment and a quill. She wrote a lengthy note before she decided that it was good enough, leaving it on the puzzle in the living room before folding their laundry and falling asleep on the basement couch. She didn't deserve to be in their bed at the moment. Her sleep was fitful until she could clearly hear Astero's return upstairs.

Astero ran for well over an hour, until his legs nearly gave out from under him. He leaned against a tree and sobbed, wishing the conversation he had never happened. He cursed himself for not being a wizard like his mother, and cried harder, missing her as well. He wanted to tell The King to undo what he had said or done. He now had some idea of what Rivin might had gone through when his parents left. Did he know they would be gone? Did he try and fight it? Astero pulled out the note Rivin wrote Magdiana, and looked at it intently, trying to find any clue to why Magdiana would want to do this. He hung his head when he knew there were no answers. “Why is this my life? Why do the people around me keep dying?” He asked out loud.

Rivin walked up next to Astero, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It isn’t your fault. It never was.” He told Astero reassuringly.


	12. Squeeze

Astero nearly jumped at the touch. He looked up sadly at his brother. He was angry at Rivin, but he didn’t have the strength to fight him at the moment. “Why are you here, Rivin?” He asked him seriously. “Or, is this just another part of your grand plan?”

Rivin looked down at his younger brother. “I like to keep an eye out on my little brother.” He told Astero honestly. “I heard bits of your argument. I know what you’re going through.”

“Of course, you were listening.” Astero sighed, leaning against the tree in defeat. “Is this the reason why you wanted to stop The King? The feeling I'm having right now?” He asked Rivin seriously.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “It was hard finding out. I wanted to stop them. They should have been around to see you grow up.” He said, looking at Astero.

Astero sniffled a bit, and nodded. “It would have been nice.”

Rivin sat down next to Astero, leaning against the tree as well. “Yeah, they would be proud of you. You are strong.” He said, placing a hand on his shoulder, and squeezing it gently.

Astero felt his hand on his shoulder. It felt nice, but wrong. It felt like there was no real meaning behind the gesture. “Did- did you know that this would happen between Mag and myself?” He asked him seriously. “Is that why you tried to push us apart?”

“Yes, and no.” He told him honestly. “I knew there was a chance that she could get chosen, but I never thought you two would get romantically involved. I just wanted to make sure that you had someone who could challenge you.” Rivin explained with a slight chuckle.

“Well, you succeeded.” Astero told him with a small smile. “She could kick my ass any day of the week.”

“I know.” Rivin chuckled. “I was watching, always watching. Mom and Dad wanted me to watch over you and take care of you. So, I did from a distance.” He sighed a bit. “What I was doing was too dangerous to drag you into. You needed to be older.”

“I didn’t even knew you existed, until about a month ago.” Astero quipped back. “You could have been there! I was alone for so long.” He said with tears in his eyes.

“I know, but I couldn’t show myself. It would have ruined everything. I need to get The King back for what he did to us.” Rivin told him resolutely.

Astero cried for a moment, and wiped away the tears before breathing in deeply. “I am glad your plan has worked out so far.” He told him. “I wish you the best of luck.” He replied, getting up.

Rivin helped him up, and dusted him off. “You could always help me, if you wanted.” He offered him. “The Vosson name could be known around the world.” He offered, outstretching a hand.

Astero grabbed his hand. “Goodnight, Rivin. We will see you at lunch in a month's time.” He said simply. “Not that we have much of a choice.” He sighed.

Rivin nodded. “See you then.” He replied, pulling him in for a brief hug. “Have a good night.” He pulled away, and disappeared into the night.

Astero watched as Rivin disappeared into darkness. He waited a few minutes before he frowned, and felt angry. Throughout that whole conversation, not once did Rivin say sorry. He didn’t care about him. He was only in it for himself. Astero clenched a fist, and tossed the letter to the ground before setting it ablaze with a Firebolt. He watched the note burn, and began to walk back to the house. He still wasn’t sure what to say to Magdiana. He wasn’t even sure if she would be there. He knew he loved her, and would do anything for her. Even so, this was asking a lot. He didn’t know how long it would be before she- left, and he really didn’t want to think about it. He just knew that Magdiana was better than Rivin right now, so he made his way home.

When he arrived at the house, he saw that the house was dark. He sighed a bit, and walked into the room. He paused when he saw a note on top of the puzzle. It wasn’t sealed, so he knew it wasn’t Rivin. He sat down on the couch, and read it.

_My Knight,_

_Astero, I am not good with words, especially when I am stressed or under pressure. Let me lead by telling you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. For never realizing you didn't celebrate birthdays growing up without a family, I'm sorry for falling in love with you when it was clear that you had no interest. I'm sorry for so quickly coming to the conclusion that this has to be me._

_The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I love you. I love your scent, I love the way you look after a fight, I love the way you always remember the spell without me having to ask. I love that we can sense the other's thoughts by movement alone. Astero, this isn't about me leaving you. This is so much more._

_This is about the world. So that other children don't have to go without birthday cakes. So that other stupid girls can fall madly in love with men like you. So that others can live, and, Astero, most of all, I want you to live._

_You deserve happiness. You deserve a woman who will help you with dishes, and eat your breakfasts. You deserve this house to be filled with the sounds of happiness and children's laughter. You deserve a woman who doesn't wake up with the urge to stab the nearest warm body every morning, a woman who can savor every iota of flavor you pack into each loving meal. You deserve the chance to have a real family._

_I just ask that you help me. I know that this is hard. It's hard for me too, Astero. I'm scared. Terrified. If you think that I want to die, you're wrong. I know you might be angry or upset, but I hope you'll help me instead of trying to stop me. Help me make the most of whatever time we have. Let me show you my love so that it can help us get through the tough times ahead. Please don't shut me out._

_Earlier, I said I wasn't angry. I'm not. I never was angry at you, but I think you misunderstood. What I meant was I'm not angry at The King. In essence, he asked me to die, and I can honestly say that I'm not angry. Who else, in my position could say the same? He needs me to do this for him because I am obviously the best choice. It might be morbid, but it is the truth. I hate to ask this of you, Astero. It's tearing me up to put you through this again, but, As, you will have to let me go._

_You asked me about choices today. And, now, it's my turn to ask. What will you choose? Will you be like your brother and tear us apart or will you be the man that I fell in love with and let us be together and happy while we can? When you're ready, I'm downstairs on the couch. I didn't feel that I deserved our bed after everything I've put you through. Sleep well, love._

_Until the end._

  
_Your Queen,_   
_Magdiana Rothenel_

Astero read the letter, and was in tears again. He carefully folded the letter up, and held it to his chest. He looked towards the basement, and sighed. He wasn’t sure if he could talk to her, but he knew he had to. So, he slowly made his way down to the basement, and sat down on the couch, sitting at the other end. “Hey, Mag.” He sniffled.

"Yeah?" She asked clearly having been crying from the sounds of her voice.

He looked at her with red eyes. “I read your letter.” He told her not really sure where he was going with the conversation.

She sat up, and pulled him into her arms. "Oh, As." She sighed. "We don't have to talk about it now. You look so exhausted."

He held her tightly. The feeling of her made him feel better. He looked up at her, and shook his head. “No, I want to. I need to.” He told her honestly.

She pulled away, placing a hand on his cheek. "Okay." She said quietly. "I'm sorry." She started.

“No.” He said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry for running away like I did.” He told her. “You are dealing with this just like I am, but in different ways.” He held her hands. “Sorry.”

"I'm scared, Astero." She whispered to him, giving him a soft kiss as her thumb rubbed his cheek soothingly.

He leaned his head into her hand. “I am, too.” He said looking into her eyes. “I am scared of what I will do without you.” He said leaning his head on hers. “I have never been scared of the future until now.” He whispered to her.

"I know you, Astero, and I know that you will be okay. You always have been. Always will be. You're so strong. Stronger than you'll ever know." She whispered.

He nodded. “I know, but I won’t be as strong without you. You were the one who made get stronger in the first place. The one who made me want to get stronger.” He said with a hug.

"I'm still here now, and you still need to be stronger. You have to be. We need to stop Rivin." She told him. "He's trying to endanger what I'm trying to fix."

“I know. I talked to him.” He sighed deeply as he said that.

"You did?" She asked in bafflement.

He nodded. “He followed me to where I ran, and sat down next to me, trying to comfort me.” He told her honestly. “He didn’t mean any of it.”

She held him close, and possessively whispered. "I wish I could heal this away for you."

He shook his head a bit. “No, it just solidified what I already knew, and confirmed what The King told us.” He explained, looking at her. “He is not as smart as he seems.”

"I still want to fix it, but I don't know how I can." She sighed. "You are my family. Just hear that, and know that I mean it."

“I know. You are my family, too.” He replied, holding her closer to him. “You being here next to me is good enough.” He sighed, breathing in her scent, and relaxing as he did so.

She held him for a long time before she finally spoke. "You'll still marry me?" She asked quietly.

He nodded, and looked at her. “Of course, I will.” He agreed, trailing off before running up to the bedroom. He came down a few minutes later, and knelt down in front of her. “It’s not how I planned it, but I might as well make it official.” He said, taking out the small box Eri gave him. “Magdiana Rothennel, will you marry me?” He asked her, opening up the box to reveal the ring inside of it.

She smiled a teary smile. "I didn't think you'd have a ring so soon. And, yes, of course, I will."

He smiled, and hugged her. He put the ring on her finger, and looked at her. “It was your Mom who gave me the ring.” He told her honestly.

She facepalmed. "Of course, she did."

“She said it was her Mom's.” He smiled at her. “Your Mom really does like me.”

"This was my grandmother's ring?" She asked, looking at it. "She was the original Magdiana."

“Then, it only makes sense that you have it.” He smiled at her, giving her a hug.

She hugged him back. "Thank you, Astero."

“You’re welcome Magdiana.” He whispered to her.

"Can we sleep, please? Work is going to suck in the morning." She asked with a slump to her shoulders.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I was almost tempted to take tomorrow off. Fuck this weekend.” He sighed.

"I want to as well, but I work from home now anyway. It's not like I can ignore it." She laughed, looking towards the door to her lab.

“You're right. Tomorrow is going to suck.” He sighed deeper now, standing up. “Let’s go to bed.”

She stood next to him, holding his hand, and slowly walking upstairs. She looked at the table where she'd left the note, and smiled softly. "Not going to lie, I expected ashes and burnt parchment."

He shook his head softly at her. “No, I'm keeping that one.” He told her quietly. “To keep me going.” He smiled at her.

She gripped his hand tighter. "I'll do everything that I can to make this as easy as possible, but I know that it won't be easy."

He shook his head. “No, it won’t be.” He sighed, gripping her hand in kind. “But, let’s worry about that tomorrow. I am exhausted.” He yawned.

She nodded, methodically disrobing, and laying down in bed with her arms open for him. “Get over here, and cuddle me, fiance.” She cringed. “Nope. Too weird.”

He chuckled, and disrobed, laying down next to her. He pulled her close to him. “It will be wife soon.” He chuckled as he closed his eyes.

“Yeah. We just have to choose the day.” She hummed. Her eyes growing heavy as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeats.

“Soon.” He said quietly. “Love you.”

Her snores filled the room now. For once, she didn’t dream, or, at least, didn’t remember her dreams. When she awoke at dawn the next morning, Astero was still soundly asleep. She smiled at his form, and carefully padded downstairs to make him a breakfast for once. He would wake soon enough.

Astero awoke, and was confused to not see Magdiana. He looked around the room, before the smell of breakfast hit him. He walked downstairs and to the kitchen. He leaned against the door jam. “Well, this is new.” He smiled at her.

“It’s about time you ate my impressive cooking.” She said, plating the eggs for them, and walking to the table with their meals. “Bacon, eggs, and toast. Gourmet at it’s finest.” She laughed.

“The breakfast of champions.” He laughed back, sitting down, and taking a big bite. He tasted the food. It was good. “I like it.” He told her honestly.

“It’s nothing like what you make, but it’s edible.” She smiled. “Well, until it’s not. Tried to make cinnamon rolls once. Never again.”

“That sounds hilarious.” He laughed, taking a few more bites before he looked at the clock. He sighed a bit, seeing the time. “I need to go get ready for work. Thank you. It was a nice treat.” He said, kissing her cheek.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled. “I’m going to go do my jog and whatnot now, so I’ll probably be in the basement when you get home.”

He nodded. “Sounds good. If I don’t see you up here, I will come say hi.” He smiled at her before going to go get dressed.

“Beware of fumes.” She giggled. “I’m making aquitoxin today.”

“I will make sure to wear a mask.” He chuckled.

She kissed him as she moved to clean up the dishes, making quick work of the aggravating task so that she was done by the time he was coming downstairs. “Have a good day.” She smiled.

“Thank you.” He smiled into the kiss. “I love you.” He told her.

“Love you.” She told him, going upstairs to get into workout gear, and jogging to her parent’s house. She was panting when she got to the door, knocking a few times before waiting.

Eri opened the door, and hugged Magdiana when she saw her. “Good morning. This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Yeah, I start my work from home job today, so I can kind of set my own schedule.” She smiled at her mother. “Did Jacob go to school today?”

“Yeah, he did.” She told her honestly. “Please, come in.” She said, holding the door open for her.

“Did Dad go to work, too, or did he stay home?” Magdiana asked. “I kind of figured that we’d need to talk.”

Eri nodded. “He went to work. He said it would help him think everything over.” She sighed. “Don’t worry. Your Dad will be fine. He just needs some time.”

Magdiana hugged her mother. “Okay.” She whispered, letting go and walking to the table. “Um, I learned a new spell? During all of the crazy.”

Eri sat down next to her daughter. “Oh? And what was it like?” She asked her curiously.

“I helped Raze calm down after she found out about Wake.” Magdiana shrugged.

“Oh! You cast Calm Emotions.” Eri told her, knowing the spell well. “It helped many times when Jacob was scared.” She laughed a bit.

“It felt more powerful than the other spells I could cast, but I don’t know why.” Magdiana tried to explain.

“That would make sense. It is a higher tier spell than what you are used to.” Eri nodded.

“Wait. So, I’m a better cleric now?” She sounded a bit excited. “Should I be able to cast restoration spells, now?”

Eri smiled at her. “Yes, you should be able to cast Lesser Restoration now.” She told her. “Greater Restoration will be a ways away.”

“Ha! I know what we’re having for dinner now. Astero will be stoked.” Magdiana enthused.

Eri raised an eyebrow at her. “Why would you need Lesser Restoration for dinner?” She asked a little nervously.

Magdiana blushed. “Astero likes peanut butter sandwiches, but he’s got a bit of an allergy to peanuts.”

Eri laughed a bit. “Oh, that's adorable.” She said, placing a hand on hers.

“Yeah, he’d really love to eat one sometime without having all of the repercussions.” She replied still blushing, but slightly less now. “Uh, Mom?”

“Yes, dear?” She asked her with a smile.

“Can- can you please contact The King for me? Tell him,” she paused, looking up at the ceiling while tears glistened in her eyes, but didn’t fall. “I have questions.”

Eri paused, but nodded. “Yes, I can. Just give me a few minutes. Okay?” She asked her.

Magdiana nodded. “Yeah. I don’t need answers right away. It’s fine.”

“It’s okay. I don't mind.” She smiled at her, turning a bit, and writing glyphs into the air before sending them off into the ether. “Okay, I told him, but it might be a bit before-” Eri paused as she received a message, and looked to Magdiana intently. “He says he will be here shortly.” She explained, sounding a bit confused.

Magdiana put her face into her hands. “I didn’t need a response right away.” She groaned.

“I said that.” She replied, sighing as she spoke.

“It’s fine.” Magdiana whispered, standing up, and going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. “Do you need anything while I’m in here?”

Eri shook her head. “No, just wished I cleaned better.” She sighed, looking around the house a bit, and making a face. “Of course, Jacob left his socks there.”

Magdiana laughed, taking a sip from the glass, and taking a deep breath before meeting her mother at the dining table. “I am fairly certain that, in his time, he has seen a lot worse, Mom.”

“Yes, but I don’t like showing off a dirty house.” She sighed again before looking into the direction of the living room. “He is here.”

Magdiana stood up slowly walking into the living room. She looked around. She didn't see anything yet, so she just waited for him to show himself.

A second later, a portal opened up next to Magdiana, and out walked The King. The air got cold again, and The King looked towards her. “Hello, Magdiana. I hear you have some questions for me?” He asked her curiously as the portal shut behind him.

Magdiana looked to Eri. “Mom, would you mind if-?”

Eri nodded. “Not at all. I will be outside if you need me.” She told them, standing up, and going out the back door.

Magdiana sighed heavily as her mother walked out methodically walking to the dining room table. “Can we sit, please?”

“Of course.” The King nodded, following her to the table, and sitting when she did.

Magdiana noted the sign of respect normally given to royalty, and smiled a bit wanly. “Thank you.” She told him, looking into where his eyes should be. “I’m not going to tell you no.”

He nodded at her. “That is good to know, but you will always have the option.” He told her truthfully. “In the end, the choice is yours to make.”

“My decision is already made, but I need to know some things.” She told him in a determined fashion.

“Ask away.” He offered, waving his hand in a motion to emphasize that he wasn't hiding anything.

Magdiana fiddled with the ring on her finger. “What sort of timeline am I looking at here? Weeks, months, years? I just don’t want to make plans that I can’t follow through on.”

The thought for a moment. “Closer to decades.” He told her calmly. “It will not be soon. There will still be time for you to have a life.”

She nodded, breathing a shuddering sigh of relief. “So, I have time to have a family.”

He nodded, placing his hand on hers. It actually felt warm to her right now. “Yes. It is my job to protect life not hinder it. You can have a family or any other plans. I will let you know well in advance before anything happens.” He told her reassuringly.

“I assume that this happens in the frozen wasteland?” She laughed a bit at her own joke. “Like, I’ll get used to the warm, and, one day, have to go back?”

He laughed a bit, and nodded. “Yes, it will be in my castle.”

“Do I get there on my own or do I get to go in style with the magicky bullshit?” She asked.

The King laughed again. “You will be escorted there either by Gate or by ship. That choice is up to you. Some have chosen to make their own way. So, what you want to do, we can figure out at a later date. You don’t need to decide now.” he said calmingly.

She nodded. Her lips pursed, and eyes watered. “I don’t want to be alone. Can I bring someone?”

“If that is what you want, yes.” He told her.

“It’s fast, right?” She asked, sounding braver than she felt.

“Yes, instantaneous.” He said calmly. “You won’t feel anything.”

She thought for a minute before gulping. “How long will I give you?”

“That is hard to say.” He told her honestly. “The time varies per person, but around 50 years, give or take.”

She nodded again, slower this time. “You’ll keep my family safe?”

“Until I can no longer do so.” He told affirmatively.

“Do you know- Do I go to the Hells for this or is this a Mask thing?” She asked, feeling completely confused.

The King hummed. This was a hard question for him to answer. “I don’t think you go to the Hells.” He said calmly. “But, I know that, after some time the person does leave me, so I think they go to their afterlife.”

“Thank you.” She told him quietly.

“You're welcome.” He replied in kind, letting the silence fill the room for a moment.

“I can contact you if I have any other questions?” She asked.

“Of course. It might not be in person, but I will reply to you.” He nodded.

She nodded. “You don’t have to reply so fast, either, you know.”

The King chuckled. “I like to be punctual.” He told her honestly. “It is just common courtesy.”

“I would say that chivalry is dead, but I’m not wrong.” She laughed.

“True.” He laughed. “It keeps me feeling human, is all.” He told her honestly. “It’s the little things.”

“Were you? Human, that is.” She asked.

“A very long time ago, yes.” He nodded.

“And, from the magicky woo woo, I assume wizard?” She guessed.

He chuckled. “That is a very complicated answer, but, in short, no.” He said, turning his head to give a small smile.

She smiled at his answer. “Alright. Well, I’ll save the rest of the small talk for tea and scones next time.”

“That sounds good.” He said, standing up. “I do need to be heading back soon, anyway. Things to do. People to see.” He whistled.

Magdiana stood up, and shook his hand. “Oh, I almost forgot. You know who is coming to dinner a month from yesterday.”

“Let me guess, Rivin.” He asked, shaking her hand in kind.

“Yes, he’ll be at our house.” She told him. “He’s been scrying on us again.”

The King thought to himself for a moment, and looked at Magdiana. “Wait just a little longer, and I will have something for that.” He told her with a nod.

“He’ll probably think it’s suspicious if he suddenly can’t see us anymore.” She reasoned. “We’re just being careful with what we say.”

“Good. Keep it up.” He told her. “It will be after your dinner party. We are getting nearer to the end of all this mess. He will be taken off guard and start grasping at straws when things start turning against him.”

“For now, we just have to let him think he has the upper hand.” She surmised. “He’s got all the chips on his side after all.” She responded with mock innocence.

“And, a very powerful ship at his disposal.” He added a bit sarcastically. “He will make a mistake soon enough.”

“I’ll see you in a month’s time, then.” She told him. “Thank you for answering my questions.”

“You are very welcome.” He replied with a small bow. “See you then. Do tell your mother I send her my regards.” He turned, and casted a spell to open another similar portal. A moment later, he stepped through it, and disappeared into the ether as if he'd never been there to begin with.

Magdiana sighed, gathering her wits before stepping outside. “The King sends his regards.” She quietly told Eri, enjoying the warmth after The King’s chilling presence.

Eri smiled at her. “Good. Did everything go well?” She asked her daughter seriously.

“Yes, thank you. Got some things cleared up.” She mumbled.

“I’m glad.” Eri smiled at her before moving to give her a hug. “I love you.” She told her honestly.

“I love you, Mom.” She responded in kind, holding the woman close. “Um, anyway, I’ve got to get working soon, but I’ll be back for actual cleric training tomorrow.”

Eri nodded, and pulled away. “Okay. I will see you then.” She smiled at her.

“Later.” Magdiana waved, starting to jog home. She was feeling much lighter, knowing that she had more time than she thought previously. She got to work, and lost herself in her craft not paying attention to anything besides the ingredients and processes of the ever predictable chemistry she was doing.

Astero's day was long and boring. He went through the motions at work without actually being there mentally. His mind was focused on other things. The loss of Wake, the conversation with Rivin, and the new knowledge he learned about Magdiana. He knew it was a lot to take in, and was glad when he was finished with the day. He took his time going home just processing the time he had with Magdiana. He didn’t know how much time they had, but he did want to make the most of it. When he walked into the house, he was shocked by an odd, yet familiar, smell. “Peanut butter?” He asked out loud. “Mag?” He called out.

Magdiana popped her head around the corner from the kitchen. “Yeah! Apparently, I should be able to cast Lesser Restoration, now. So, PB&J’s are for dinner!”

Astero's eyes went wide. “I get to have a PB&J!” He shouted excitedly, running up, and hugging her tightly. “I love you!” He said, kissing her.

She smiled, and giggled into him. “I love you, too, but, first. Which type of J? I’m more of the strawberry jam type, but we also have grape jelly.”

“I don’t care. I get to eat one either way.” He smiled at her.

“Half and half it is.” She giggled. “Can you set the table?”

“Of course, I can.” He said, moving to get the table ready.

“How was your day?” She asked, looking him over as she carefully cut the sandwiches into triangles.

“Pretty boring, actually.” He repsonded, placing the napkins. “A lot of salads, oddly enough.” He shrugged.

“Did rabbitfolk start to patronize your shop?” She joked. “I had a busy day, but very productive.”

“No, I didn't have any rabbit folk come in.” He chuckled at her. “Did you get your order all filled out?” He asked her conversationally.

She placed a plate in front of him with a smile. It had three sandwiches on it. “I did. Went pretty quick thanks to the three workstations. I didn’t even get started until just before midday.”

“Wow! You will be pumping them out at a rapid pace, then.” He smiled, eyeing the sandwiches, and licking his lips as he did so.

“Go ham. Do try to breathe between bites, though.” She laughed at his voraciousness.

“I plan on it. Just trying to decide which one.” He replied, looking them over before settling on one. He lifted the sandwich to his mouth, and took a bite slowly chewing it. He enjoyed the flavors as he did so. He quickly sped up his eating, though. He didn’t want Magdiana to run out of spells, and, in short order, he demolished the sandwiches. ”That was nice. Thank you.” He told her with a weezing cough.

She smiled, kissing his cheek, “You’re very welcome.” She frowned when she heard his breaths. “Oh, I don’t like that.”

“Yeah, it happens quick.” He told her while carefully breathing.

She placed a hand on his arm, and concentrated for a minute, wanting to make him feel better. A minute later, she felt magic flow into him. “Did it work?” She asked. “Do you feel better?”

Astero felt his breathing become easier and the itchy sensation he was beginning to feel quickly subside. Then, he let out a sigh of relief. He smiled and kissed her. “Yes, thank you.”

“Good.” She nodded, hugging him a bit from her seat. “As?”

“Yes?” He asked her with a smile.

“When I was at my parent’s place earlier, I spoke to The King. I just want you to know, we’ve got time.” She told him calmly.

He nodded at her. “Any idea how much?” He asked, holding her hand.

“The word he used was decades.” She replied with a small smirk.

He let out a sigh of relief, knowing he had more time with her. “Thank the gods.” He smiled back at her.

Her hand squeezed his. “We can have a family.” She blushed.

“That would be nice.” He smiled back. “But, not right now.” He said affirmatively. “Not ready to handle that yet.” He said honestly.

“Oh, definitely not.” She made a face, blushing a darker shade of red. “I can’t train if I’m big and pregnant.”

He smirked at her. “You would still find a way, but, until then, I will be casting the spell every time we have sex.” He told her honestly. “Not taking any chances.”

“I can’t work like that either, so business will have to be very good on your end for a while.” She told him honestly.

“Hopefully, by then, the store will get bigger.” He told her. “It’s not big enough to do that, yet.”

“We might need a bigger house.” She commented with a laugh.

He sighed a bit. “We will worry about that later. Let’s just get this one payed off first.” He smiled at her.

She giggled at him. “That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re adventurers.”

He leaned in, and kissed her. “We need to go adventuring, then.”

“When you have the weekend off, we’ll go to the guild, and clear their board of all the good jobs.” She offered.

“And drain them of their gold in the process.” He laughed.

“Honestly, as nice as the gold is, I’m more concerned about us getting stronger.” She told him honestly.

He nodded. "Yeah, we are going to need to get stronger if we are going to take care of Rivin.” He sighed a bit before looking at her. “But, we can do it.” He smiled.

She got into a boxing pose, going in for a couple of quick jabs. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a fighter like you by then.”

He smiled, and quickly grabbed her hands. “Not with that pose.” He joked at her, kissing her cheek.

“It will be much more intimidating with daggers in hand.” She defended.

“Oh, I am betting on it.” He smiled at her. “Two fancy daggers and a drive to kill. Yup, that is terrifying.”

She kissed his cheek. “Have you done your training for the day? I only had time for my jog.”

He shook his head. “No, I didn't have time. Want to train with me?” He asked, figuring she wanted to.

“Yes, please.” She smiled. “We need to stay sharp.”

He nodded, and stood up. “Then, let me go quickly change.” He offered, giving her a small kiss before going up to the bedroom.

Magdiana quickly did the dishes while he was upstairs. Thankfully, there weren’t many since it was only sandwiches. When Astero came back down, he looked much more comfortable. “Did you ever figure out what your new toy does?”

He shook his head. “No, didn’t really have time to today.” He frowned slightly. “I will find out soon enough.” He told her.

“I wish we could talk about it.” She told him, looking to the chimney. “Inside or outside?”

“Inside. It was a bit muggy outside today.” He told her, walking to the chimney.

“I was hoping you would say that. I might die of heat stroke.” She commented, starting to walk downstairs.

“Not on my watch.” He told her, closing the door behind them. “So, which room would be best?” He asked her seriously, assessing their options.

She brought him into the main basement room. “I was thinking that, if we moved the furniture in here, there should be plenty of space for everything short of Firebolts.”

He looked around, and nodded. “Okay, let's do that then.” He responded, going to move the couch to a wall.

Magdiana joined him, pushing a table against the same wall. When she finished moving it, she stole a kiss. “Whoops. I fell.” She commented.

“At least, we know gravity works, then.” He chuckled, moving the desk to a more reasonable location.

She rolled up the rug, and pushed it into the former armory. “Neither of us will be tripping on this.”

“Good. I don't want a broken arm.” He told her honestly. “That shit hurts.”

“I am pretty sure that cure wounds doesn’t fix that.” She paused, thinking about it. “Does it?”

He thought it over. “No, I don't think it does.” He frowned. “We will be careful.” He told her.

“My mom will help, if need be, I’m sure. She is much more powerful as far as the cleric stuff goes.” She smiled, taking out her daggers. “How are we doing this? Weapons? No weapons? Magic?”

Astero cracked his knuckles. “No weapons. If you are going to be a fighter, everything must be a weapon including you hands.” He told her.

She nodded, starting to disarm herself. “That’s fine. Let me just remove temptation.”

He watched her remove the daggers, and readied himself when she done. “Ready?” He asked, getting into a fighting stance.

She cracked her neck, and stretched a bit. “This feels weird, but yeah. I’m ready.”

“Good.” He said, running at her, and throwing a few jabs at her to keep her on her toes. “You will get used to it quickly.” He told her as he grabbed one of her arms, and spun her around.

She dodged out of the way of the first punch, but the other two hit home. It knocked the wind out of her, and, the next thing she knew, she was facing the opposite direction. Her gut instinct told her to square her hips and prepare to counter. She took a breath, and waited for his move. She was good at tossing him around, after all.

He quickly closed the gap from behind her, and was going to put her into a choke hold until he felt her arms grab his. Her leg lifted between his as she moved forward, and flipped him over her. He grunted for a moment as he laid on his back before he spun around and made a swipe at her legs.

Magdiana jumped over his kick. “You’re fast.” She commented, trying to retaliate with a kick of her own. She needed to at least try to put up an offensive even if she was mostly on defense at the moment.

He felt her kick, and was glad she didn’t have as much power behind it. He quickly got to his feet, and readied himself for her attack. “Thank you. Now, show me what you got.” He told her, waving his fingers at her.

She punched him as hard as she could in the chest with her right hand, and went in for a second strike with her left. She was just wishing she could add a little bit more oomph to the hit when, suddenly, a magical glowing dagger about the size of a person appeared behind him. “What the fuck?” She asked as it moved to strike him with a resounding thunk.

Her punch didn’t do much, but the strike from behind left him reeling. It wasn’t a hard hit, but he wasn't expecting it. He moved to see the spiritual weapon, and looked towards Magdiana. “Okay. I guess we are doing it this way then.” He said as he leapt back, and a flurry of snowballs pelted her where she stood.

“Son of a bitch!” She yelled at him suddenly shivering. “I am not wearing the clothes for that.” She commanded her weapon to hit him again before she went in for a jab with her left like she would normally do with a dagger.

He saw the attack coming for the weapon, and cast shield. He smiled, and regretted it a bit as she got him in the side. He sighed, and moved to grapple her. Her punches were getting annoying. “Then, stop with the big dagger.” He threatened.

She tried to make the magical weapon disappear, but it wouldn’t. “Uh, I can’t, apparently.” She told him, trying to snake out of his grip. Her magical weapon went in for a strike, but it didn’t do anything to him. It just kind of nudged him.

“Alright, then.” He told her, lifting up her shirt, and casting the same spell to pelt her stomach. “I did warn you.” He told her, keeping his hold on her tight.

“Ah!” She shrieked, trying to wiggle out of his grip. “You are so lucky that I’m used to the cold.” She threatened. In a quieter voice, she told him. “My nipples are so hard right now.” As she said this, the magical dagger walloped him.

Her words distracted him as the dagger hit him in the back of the head. He let go of her, and shook his head, feeling dazed.

She let her guard down, looking at him with concern. “You okay?”

He looked at her, and nodded, shaking the daze out of him. “I'm fine.” He told her.

From where she was, she willed him to heal, saying, “feel better,” as she moved across the room and prepared to dodge his attacks.

Astero felt himself actually feel better as magic healed him up. He looked himself over, and, then, to Magdiana. “Thank you, but you are looking a little chilly.” He teased, waving a hand, and causing frost to form on her ass.

She dodged out of the way of the worst of the attack, but, annoyed, she hit him with the dagger again. “You are such an ass.” She huffed, going in for a bout of mixed kicks and punches that he was blocking with his arms easily.

“And, yours is cold.” He chuckled, moving her arm to the side before pulling her in for a small kiss, and cast the spell again causing more ice to from. He pulled away, but not before smacking her ass hard.

“Ahh!” She shrieked into his face. “That is cold, As!” She complained, getting frustrated, and moving to knee him in the groin, which he quickly stopped her from doing. The magical weapon attacked again, but, once again, didn’t do anything. “This is frustrating. I’m not doing anything to you.”

He quickly caught his second wind, and looked her over. “That thing is annoying.” He told her, letting her go.

“I’m pretty sure that it’s meant to be annoying.” She told him. “It doesn’t exactly do much damage to you.” She saw how he took a few breaths and suddenly looked more composed. She quickly cast cure wounds on herself before waving a hand and watching as holy light struck him.

He felt the fire hit him, and grunted. He wasn’t used to that feeling. He pointed a finger at her, and sent three bolts of magical energy her way. All striking her. “Well, it's working.” He told her honestly, rushing in to get close to her again.

She moved to counter his attack, but quickly found herself being lifted off of the ground. “Ahh!” She squealed as she went down, hitting the ground with him over top of her. She panted as she looked into his eyes, feeling excitement at their closeness. This made her smirk, and she wound her legs around his torso, pulling him closer. She kissed him firmly before her smile grew wider, and she started to squeeze his middle with her legs. “Yield.” She told him.

He felt her legs squeezing him, and he kissed her firmly back. He moved his arms underneath the back of her shirt, and pulled it apart, threatening to tear her shirt off. “You yield.” He told her firmly, smirking as he said that.

She sighed. “I yield. Only because I like this shirt.” She frowned, wiggling beneath him. “But, you should definitely remove it anyway.”

He smiled at her, and loosened his grip on her shirt. He gave her a small kiss. “I was planning on it.” He smirked, lifting her shirt up and off of her before kissing her again.

She finished kissing him, and whined. “You probably gave me frostbite on my ass.”

He smirked, pulling away. “You will be fine. If you want, I could always warm it up.” He smiled at her gently rubbing her ass as he did so.

“You should definitely do that.” She sighed eyes closing at his touch. “I really like this training regime.”

“Yeah, it’s a win-win situation no matter who wins.” He said still rubbing her ass, but moving to give her some room.

“I can still keep going if you want. I’ve got some healing left.” She offered, wiggling underneath him, and using her weight and momentum to roll on top of him while his back was on the floor.

“You would still lose.” He smirked at her, sitting up, and kissing her. “I barely have a scratch, and you are sore.” He remind her, squeezing his hand a bit.

“Yeah, some asshole kept pelting me with snowballs.” She giggled, kissing him back. “When’d you learn that one?”

“I had some time to research.” He told her, trailing a finger down her stomach, and feeling where the snowballs hit.

She leaned into his touch, grabbing his hand, and placing it on the cool skin. “Much better.” She sighed at his warmth.

He gently rubbed her stomach, and brushed her hair out of her face. “Glad I could help.” He smirked, leaning in for a long kiss.

When she pulled away from the kiss, she grabbed his hands, and shoved them rather unceremoniously down her pants. “Please, help me warm my ass back up.” She giggled, but she was being serious. “I’m cold.”

He smiled, and began to rub her ass again, using both hands to rub each cheek. He held her as close as he could, and gave her small kisses. “Sorry for freezing you.” He whispered to her.

“Sorry for thunking you with a magical dagger.” She gave him a quick peck of a kiss.

“It’s okay. It didn’t hurt that bad.” He chuckled.

“Didn’t think so. I can do a lot more damage with a couple of daggers.” She told him. “It was really just an annoyance for you.”

“It worked.” He told her honestly. “And, if we used weapons, it would have been a completely different fight.” He reminder her looking into her eyes.

She nodded. “You’re right, though. I need to get used to other weapons. Maybe, I can use a rapier or something. You know I like stabby.”

“A rapier would suit you, they are made for more nimble bodied people like yourself.” He smirked, rubbing her butt some more.

“Yes, they are.” She looked at his hands, and back into his eyes. “You are driving me mad right now, As.”

“I am just warming you up.” He said, feigning innocence.

She eyed him suspiciously. “Those words were chosen very carefully, and you know it.”

“Yes, they were.” He responded, snapping a finger, and making her underwear warm up. “Like that.” He said, removing his hands, and holding her.

Magdiana yipped, trying to jerk out of his grip. “Those are very sensitive parts you are making warm, As.”

“They won’t get hot.” He told her seriously. “Just keeping you warm.” He replied, kissing her, and skillfully removing her bra.

She was still trying to wiggle out of his hands without realizing that her hips were grinding into his in her fervor to get out of his clutches. “I don’t like it. Take them off.”

He smirked a bit, watching her squirm. “But, you said you were cold. Taking clothes off will get you colder.” He said, slowly unzipping her pants.

“I don’t care.” She writhed on top of him. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Yes, I do.” He smirked at her, removing her pants from her, and, begrudgingly, her underwear as well, letting him see her nakedness in full. “I do like this view.” He smiled, looking her over.

She leaned down into him, cuddling into his chest, and removing his shirt. “Oh, you’re warm.” She sighed, feeling his skin.

He held her to his chest. His hand holding her close, and gently massaging her as he did so. ”You are cold.” He remarked, feeling her cold skin.

She looked up from his chest, and smirked. “Okay, really loving the training regime.”

He leaned down, and kissed her longingly. He carefully removed his pants, and tossed them aside. “It is nice. We get to be so close.” He huskily replied.

“Next time, strip each time someone lands a hit.” She laughed, wiggling down to remove his boxers.

“If we did that, you would be naked in a matter of seconds.” He teased, kissing down her neck, and moving to her breasts.

“Just because you can suddenly attack me, attack again, and, then, repeat that doesn’t mean you should.” She laughed, moaning when his lips started to suckle on her breasts. “Oh, hello.”

He looked up at her, and smirked. “True, but you would like it.” He commented, sucking her nipple again as his hands snaked down her back, and gently grabbed her ass cheeks, squeezing them as he did so.

She ground into him as he touched her, “if we do that, I’m wearing, like, five pairs of socks.”

“I could get them off in a few seconds.” He promised, spreading her cheeks a bit.

“You could get me off in a few seconds.” She quipped, moving lower onto his body so that her hands could massage his thighs. Behind her, she felt his erection poking her ass a bit.

He moved a hand to tease her ass with a finger. “Oh, I easily could.” He said, snapping his other hand hand making it vibrate as he ran it over her skin, and down her front.

“I don’t want to take that bet.” She told him honestly. “I don’t need to know that you can have me become a screaming pile of putty in your hands that quickly.”

“Then, it is a good thing I am not doing that.” He told her slowly easing himself into her ass as his fingers gently rubbed her clit. “I just want you feel warm.” He told her, locking his lips with her to contain the moans she was about to let out.

She quivered above him. "As." She moaned into his kiss. "Mmm."

He slowly moved his hips into her as his fingers made their way inside of her. He moved his fingers slowly, keeping pace with his hips, fucking both of her holes simultaneously. He moved his mouth to lightly nibble on her ear. “I love you.” He whispered to her.

"I," she shuddered, "love you." She ground into him with each of his movements. "A- Astero." She placed her hands on his chest, and rubbed the muscles there. Her eyes met his. "Oh, gods."

He locked his eyes with hers. His hands and hips continuing to move in sync. “Relax, and let it happen.” He softly spoke to her.

She moved her legs a bit, squeezing his torso comfortingly. "Okay." She sighed, and nodded, closing her eyes and just feeling what he was doing to her. "As." She panted a minute later. "As."

He moved his hips and hand faster while his other hand held her back comfortingly. He let out a small moan of pleasure as she squeezed him. He gently rubbed her back. “You feel amazing.” He told her honestly.

"You too." She sighed. "Going to cum." She gripped his arms as he fucked her through the orgasm. She moaned, and whined as she came around his cock and fingers. She finally finished, and her eyes opened again to meet his. "I love you."

He smiled at her. “I love you.” He replied, leaning up to kiss her. He gently removed his hand from inside of her, and stretched his fingers, they were sore from the tight grip she had on them. He moved his hips faster into her, feeling his pleasure rising.

She leaned down, making out with him as he fucked her ass. She smirked into his kiss, clenching her muscles around him She moved her hips to join his. She wanted him to feel good too. "I love you."

“I love you, too.” He smirked back as he his pace matched her new one. His hands reached up to play with her breasts as he felt a wave of pleasure hit him. “I'm close.” He told her. His hips moving faster.

She met his speed. "Cum for me, love." She told him, feeling pleasure at being able to bring him pleasure.

“For you, always.” He moaned as he bucked faster into her, cumming deep into her ass. He twitched as his seed spilled into her, and he laid down on the floor, looking up at her and resting a hand on her cheek.

She leaned into his hand. "I think that, if anything, this keeps getting better."

He smiled at her. “I think you might be right.” He responded, moving underneath her.

She groaned. "Wait a minute." She told him quietly. "I'm not ready to move."

He stopped his moving, looking at her intently. “Take all the time you need.” He told her honestly.

She rested her head on his chest. "Thank you." She muttered, closing her eyes. "I could stay like this all day, but just a bit longer."

He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close. “I could stay stay like this, too.” He said closing his eyes. “Stay as long as you want.” He sighed, enjoying her weight on his body.

"As?" She asked him quietly.

“Yes, Mag?” He asked her in kind.

"Is it possible to have dessert tonight?" She asked. "I mean, besides what we just did."

“Like chocolate or fruit?” He asked her.

She hummed. "Fruit."

“Yes, it is.” He told her with a smile. “But, that means moving.” He told her.

"I know." She sighed, sitting up, and moving off of him. She stood up, and offered him her hand. "Can I get prestidigitation, please?"

He took her hands, and got up, waving a hand over her to clean her up. “There you go.” He smiled, doing the same to himself, and moving to get his boxers on.

She looked at her clothes, and just pulled on her underwear, stealing his shirt. "I've got to do laundry tomorrow."

He laughed, and stole a kiss from her. “If we keep up this rate, you will be doing laundry every day of the week.” He smirked, leading them to the kitchen.

"No, but I like to wash them before workout clothes get gross." She told him honestly. "For other stuff, I just let them soak longer."

“I would just use prestidigitation.” He replied simply. “Will clean just about anything.”

She nudged his shoulder. "I do not have that spell. Yet."

"And, when you get it, you will wish you had it sooner." He told her, putting an arm around her as they walked.

"I cannot wait to use it on dishes, to be honest." She enthused. "It might make them enjoyable."

"Probably, it certainly made life easier with laundry." He smiled.

She giggled a bit, leaning in to him. "We need to finish that puzzle, one day." She commented as they walked past it. "Maybe, we'll glue it and put it up on the wall."

"That would be nice. Then, we can make sure it stays in one piece." He chuckled softly.

"It will be nice. Proof of one of our first team building exercises." She told him, sitting on the counter while he moved to the refrigerator.

"It will only take us over a year." He smiled, pulling out some apples and oranges.

She watched him. "So, what's dessert?"

He pulled out some cherries, and looked at her. "I was thinking of a fruit cocktail. Fast and simple."

"It's your cooking, so I'm more than happy either way." She smiled.

He chuckled, and began to chop up the fruit into two bowls. "It's hardly cooking, it is more like making."

She swung her feet from her place on the counter. "I don't even care. I wouldn't have thought to make it."

He smiled, and handed her the bowl. "Enjoy." He told her, moving between her legs to kiss her.

She wrapped her legs around him as she popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. "Mmm." She sighed. "Mine." She said after she finished chewing.

"I'm glad you like it." He smirked, taking a bite of fruit.

She stole a kiss from him. "I love that fresh fruit is a normal thing, now." She ate another bite happily crunching into apple.

He smiled into the kiss, peeling an orange, and taking a slice. “It might be the best thing in the world.”

"I could just eat buckets of the stuff." She sighed, taking another bite. She rested her head on his chest eyes looking up at him. "This is perfect."

He took a deep breath, tasting the fruit on his tongue, and feeling her weight pressing against him. He was relaxed. He looked down at her, and gave her a small smile. “It is.” He commented, giving her a small kiss.

She savored the kiss, letting it linger and tingle on her lips. She took one last bite of the fruit, finding the bowl now empty. "Damn. I inhaled that again."

He looked at her bowl, and chuckled. He lightly put his hand on her cheek, and gave her the lightest of smacks. “Bad, Mag.” He joked.

"Rude." She halfheartedly complained.

“I did say I would train you to eat slower. Didn’t I?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I didn't expect you to actually try to condition me." She giggled. "I'm trying my best. It's just hard."

He moved her bowl to the side, took a slice of orange, and held it to her mouth. “Now, I want you to slowly eat this, and savor the flavors.”

She gingerly took a bite slowly chewing and savoring the tangy juices in her mouth. "So good." She told him. "Way better than questionably purchased oranges in Yutan."

“Yes, they are.” He chuckled, licking a bit of juice from the side of her mouth. “And, oh so, juicy.” He held the orange for her to take another bite.

She took the other half of the slice, and bit into it. Her lips pulled into a smile. "Thank you. I love you."

“I love you.” He smiled back at her. “And, you are very welcome. If you keep up this, there may be a reward in it for you.” He winked at her.

"Reward?" She asked curiously.

He took his hand, and gently ran it down her back before grabbing her ass. “I think you could think of something.”

"Oh." She blushed. "That is definitely worth my troubles."

“I think you will do better when you have a goal in mind.” He told her honestly. “Helps give incentive.”

"What about you?" She asked him. "How do I help with your tense paranoia?"

“Well,” he started, looking at her curiously. “What would you recommend? I am helping with your inhalation of food. You help me with my irrational paranoia.” He told her with a smile.

She sighed, running her fingertips up and down his arm. "I wish I knew when you were feeling that way so that I could help." She thought for a minute. "How about, I give you a massage when you get too tense? Would that help?"

He nodded. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” He nodded, giving her a kiss.

She kissed him back. "Can we sleep now? I'm feeling drained."

“Yeah.” He yawned. “It has been a long day, and the training turned into sex really took a lot out of me.” He giggled gently grabbing her hand and pulling her off of the counter.

"You're telling me. I spoke at length to a lich before all of that." She giggled.

“In any other situation, I would have called you crazy for saying that sentence.” He chuckled. “But, we have a very crazy life.” He commented, leading her up to the bedroom.

She leaned into him. "He was surprisingly kind. It was weird. Exactly the opposite of what you would've expected. He treated me like literal royalty."

“He seemed nice. Granted, I didn't talk to him much when we last spoke, but he seemed cordial enough.” He nodded.

They got to their room, and she pulled off his shirt, crawling into bed, and laying on top of the covers. "Oh, I'm fading fast." She sighed.

He nodded in agreement, and crawled into bed next to her. He pulled the covers out from underneath her, and pulled it over the two of them. He pulled her close to him. “Night. Love you.” He yawned, closing his eyes.

"Love you." She whispered to him, leaning into the comfort of his embrace before fading into a deep sleep.

Astero fell asleep quickly after her, and got a well deserved night’s rest.

The two had a simple week, which they both welcomed wholeheartedly, and, by the time the weekend came, they were both more than ready to go and do something together to take their mind off of work. Astero came home with a spring in his step glad that the weekend was finally there. “I'm home!” He told the house. “Mag, I need hugs.” He told her honestly.

Magdiana popped her head around the corner from the kitchen where the scent of chicken being cooked could be smelled. "You okay?" She asked, running around to give him a hug before pulling him into the kitchen. "I need to keep an eye on the food, but I can cook and talk."

He followed her into the kitchen, and placed his arms around her waist. “Yeah, I am fine.” He told her honestly. “I just wanted a hug from you, is all.” He smiled, kissing her cheek as she cooked. “It looks good.”

"Nothing too complicated. Couple of big grilled chicken salads and garlic bread. I had a craving." She blushed. "How was work?"

“Nice and slow.” He sighed contently. “Would have been home sooner, but someone wanted food at the last minute.”

She gave him a small peck on the cheek. "It's okay. I didn't get started until late. Since I have a few days off, today's order was big. I didn't even get a chance to go see Mom." She sighed. "I actually have to go talk to them. Dad's ready to talk."

He nodded. “You should probably do that tomorrow.” He told her. “I can come with you, if you want, but I will stay here if you think it’s best.” He sighed, moving away from her as she began to put the food on plates.

"Honestly, I was considering going tonight." She told him. "We have work to do tomorrow."

He nodded. “That’s fine. You talk to your parents, and I will have dessert for you when you get back. Deal?” He asked her with a small peck on the cheek.

"Deal." She beamed, starting to dig into their food before stopping and sighing. "Slow down, Mag." She chastised herself.

He chuckled lightly as he took a bit of the food. “This is good. You could be as good as me one day.” He smiled at her.

"I'll happily take pointers, but I'm definitely not going to be as good as you." She told him. "I'm far too lazy for that."

“You sell yourself short.” He told her, taking another bite of the meal. “A few seasonings, and a bit of knowledge. You could impress yourself.” His tone sincere.

She smiled, taking another bite. "I will try. As, I'm dreading this conversation tonight."

He nodded at her. “I can understand why. Do you want me to go with you?” He offered.

She thought for a minute. "No, I think it's better if it's just me this time."

“Okay, then.” He responded. “Try not to overthink it, okay? Thinking it over too much will just get you more stressed than you already are.” 

"I guess I'll," she made a face, "pray or something. That part of the cleric thing is still weird."

“It’s worth a shot.” He replied, holding her hand. “Just remember. They are your parents. They love you no matter what.” He soothingly rubbed her hand.

She nodded. "I know. It's just a tough subject. Thank you."

“No problem.” He smiled at her. “Anytime.”

She grabbed one of his hands while she chewed another bite, cleaning her plate in the process. "Well, I did okay with speed. At least, I remembered to try."

“Yes, you did.” He said, leaning over, and giving her a long kiss. “Good job.”

She stood up, and put her plate in the sink. "I'll go grab my boots, and head out so I can be back at a decent hour."

“Okay, I will see you then.” He smiled, standing up, and going over to the sink. “I love you.” He told her.

She stole a kiss, "I love you." She put on her shoes and head out to her parent's place. When she got there, she knocked on the door, and anxiously waited.

Eri opened the door with a confused look, but quickly turned to smile at the sight of her daughter. “Mag!” She greeted, going in for a hug.

Magdiana hugged her Mom. "Sorry. I just realized I probably should've used the sending stone first."

“It’s fine, dear.” Eri replied, rubbing her back. “I'm always glad to see you.” She told her honestly, leading her into the house.

Magdiana looked around. "Is Jacob out?" She asked curiously. "It's too quiet."

Eri smiled. “He's staying the night at a friend's house.” She explained with a sigh of relief.

"I bet that it's kind of a relief with him being all hyped on magic right now." She laughed, taking a seat at the dining table. "Can I get water? It's hot out."

She chuckled, and went to go get the water for her. “You are going to have a bad time when the heat actually gets here.” She teased, handing the water to her.

"I'm going to be cackling maniacally when you're cold during winter." She countered.

“I'm counting on it.” She laughed. “You and Astero will be swimming when everyone else is bundling up.”

"Oh, I'll be wearing sundresses in the winter. You just try to stop me." Magdiana smiled.

Eri shivered. “I won’t. You can have fun with that.”

Magdiana turned her head, and smiled as Marius entered the room. "Hey, Dad." She stood up, and gave him a hug.

Marius smiled as she gave him a hug. “Hey, Mag.” He replied, rubbing her back. “How have you been?” He asked her.

"Great." She told him. "I like my new schedule way more than my old one. Can actually come practice cleric stuff with Mom most days, and I've been able to train and tend the garden, too. It's nice."

“I'm glad.” He smiled, leaning down, and kissing the top of her head. “I wanted to apologize for the other day. I shouldn't have done that.” He frowned. “I'm sorry.”

"It's fine. I shouldn't have broken it to you that way. I do that when I'm stressed." She blushed as she sat back down. She looked at the two of them. "You wanted to talk."

Marius sat down, and looked at Eri. He sighed before he turned to look at Magdiana seriously. “So, Eri told me that you are going to assist The King.” He started not really knowing how to continue the sentence.

Magdiana was quiet for a moment. "Yeah." She replied, feeling her response left something to be desired. "I, uh, kinda realized he was going to ask me."

He sighed, hearing her response. “We aren’t going to stop you from saying yes, but we are sad to know it will happen.” He told her with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you for understanding." She whispered emotionally. "We've got time, though, so don't get too weepy on me, old man."

He smiled a bit. “That's good.” He sniffled a bit.

Eri looked at Magdiana. “How long?” She asked a bit morbidly.

"When I asked, he used the word decades." She responded, looking down at the ring on her finger. "So, we can be a family for a while."

The two of them let out a sigh of relief. They weren't overly happy that it was still an unknown time span, but it was comforting to know that they could be together for a bit longer. Eri smiled, and looked to Magdiana. “So long as we get two decades, I will be fine. I just want to make up for lost time.”

"Will you do me a favor when the time comes?" She asked quietly.

“Of course, dear, anything” She said resolutely.

"Look after Astero for me." She whispered. "He didn't take the news so well."

Eri nodded. “Of course, Mag.” She smiled. “I will make sure my son-in-law is well taken care of.”

“And, if he does anything stupid, I will kick his ass.” Marius told her.

"He's not your son-in-law yet." Magdiana bit her lip. "And, thanks, but he's human. So, don't kick his ass too hard. You'll probably break his hip at that point." She laughed at her own joke.

Marius laughed. “I will go easy on him, then.” He smiled at her.

“And, I will heal him if he does.” Eri added. “He will be well taken care of.”

Magdiana closed her eyes, covering them with her hands, and taking several deep breaths. "I'm sorry. This is still really hard to talk about."

“It’s okay, dear.” Eri replied comfortingly. “It's nothing to be sorry about.”

She pulled her hands away, wiping tears from puffy eyes. "I think it goes without saying that you should look after whatever grandchildren you have by then."

Eri nodded. “Of course.” She smiled at her daughter. “They will be well taken care of.”

"I've got to be careful what I say, but, uh, I'm really sorry about the Rivin thing." She sighed, changing the subject. She couldn't handle anymore of the morbid conversation.

Marius nodded. “It’s fine. Your mother talked a lot of sense into me.” He explained, rubbing his arm a bit. “She made a convincing argument.”

Magdiana's eyebrow raised. "She did? What about? I thought-" She trailed off, trying to come up with the right words.

Eri looked at Marius, and, then, to Magdiana. “We had a small argument, and I told him that there are more important things than Astero's estranged relationship with his brother.”

“Yeah. I was upset about Wake. We all were, but I was taking it out on Astero when it wasn’t his fault.” Marius sighed.

"It's okay." Magdiana said. "We were all in a bad place that day. Astero and I had a blow out, too. Honestly thought that he was going to go start helping Rivin for a minute there."

“Is everything all right between you two, now?” Eri asked seriously.

"Yeah." She nodded. "When he left the house, I wrote him a letter. I think it calmed him down. We're better now. He gave me grandma's wedding ring that night."

“I'm glad.” Eri smiled. “She really wanted you to have it.”

She smiled softly. "I never got to meet her. Am I anything like her?"

Eri chuckled. “Yes, you are.” Eri told her with a smile. “And, you actually did meet her, but it was when you were just born. She was one of the first people to hold you.”

"Yeah, but I don't remember that." Magdiana laughed.

“You might not remember it, but you did meet her.” she smiled. “She would have been proud of the monster you have become.”

Marius chuckled. “Oh, yeah. She was more terrifying than your Mom.” He laughed.

“Yes, you nearly pissed yourself when you first met her.” Eri laughed.

"What could she do?" Magdiana laughed. "I honestly can't think of anything scarier than Mom if she could beat Wake."

“Well, first of all, she was an elf, so had had lived for a very long time.” Marius started. “Then, to top it off, she was just like your Mom in the cleric department, but with the added benefit of outliving a few dragons.” He laughed. “Pretty sure she could stare down one too.” He smiled at Eri.

“Oh, yeah. She would certainly give it try. She wasn’t afraid of anything.” Eri mused.

Magdiana blinked a few times. "This explains why they taught me Draconic. Huh."

Eri thought for a moment. “Yeah, she could speak Dragonic. She could speak a lot of languages, but, I think, that was her hobby.” She chuckled.

"I'm far from a polyglot." Magdiana waved a hand. "I don't have the patience for that. Potion recipes, however, different story."

“There is no harm in that. Well, with poisons.” Eri chuckled, realizing what she said.

"I was trying to avoid that subject, but, yeah, I have most of those memorized." Magdiana blushed.

Marius chuckled. “It’s fine, Mag. Really. There are much worse things you could be doing.” He told her honestly.

"At least, I'm not running around silencing people." Magdiana shrugged. "Don't think that would be the best for, well, someone helping The King."

“True.” Marius said simply.

"Did I forget to talk about anything? Did you have any more questions?" She asked.

Eri shook her head. “No. I think that might be it.” She said, looking to Marius.

Marius thought it over before he let out a small yawn. “No, I am good, for now.” He nodded at Mag.

"You, Mom?" She asked.

“I am curious when the wedding will be, but it can wait until you figure it all out.” She chuckled.

"Honestly? I need the crazy to settle down a bit. We're going to wait a few weeks." Magdiana smiled at her mentally adding to herself that she wanted the threat of Rivin to be gone.

“That’s fine.” Eri smiled. “Like I said before, just tell me when you are ready, and I will do it.”

Magdiana stood, and hugged both of them. "Is it weird that I'm not even nervous about marriage? It honestly just feels natural."

“Not at all, dear.” Marius smiled into the hug. “If it feels right, then, it is right.” He told her honestly.

"I'll see you guys soon. Astero and I are going to do some adventuring jobs this weekend, so, if you need me, the sending stone would be best." She smiled, heading towards the door. "Love you!"

“Love you, too, dear!” Her parents replied in unison, giggling to one another as they did.

Magdiana laughed at her parents, and quickly made her way home, greeting Astero happily. "Hey, As! Is dessert ready or did I come home too quickly?" She laughed as she kicked off her boots.

Astero smiled as he saw Magdiana come into the house. “Right on time.” He told her as he put some brownies on a plate for her, and set it at the table for her. “Here we are. Dessert, chocolate, and delicious all in one. Enjoy.” He smiled, sitting down, and patting the seat next to him.

Magdiana happily took her seat next to Astero. "It smells amazing." She grabbed a brownie, biting into it, and moaning. "Have I told you that I fucking love you?"

“Yes, multiple times, and I love it every time.” He smiled, kissing her cheek.

She smiled as he kissed her, taking another bite. "This is perfect. Thank you."

“You're welcome.” He smiled, stealing another small kiss. He took a bit of food, and sighed contently. “This is nice.” He commented, leaning against her lightly.

"It is. If this is anything what marriage will be like, then, I know we'll be happy." She smiled, stealing a kiss. "So, adventuring tomorrow? Maybe out of town? In a tent?" She waggled her eyebrows.

“I agree.” He smiled at her. “Yes, adventuring tomorrow. As to where it is, I am not picky.” He smirked at her. “I just want to get stronger.”

She nodded. "So, a difficult job is what I'm hearing. Good thing I'm a healer."

“I’m okay with that. It would be nice to get a challenge and do some venting.” He told her honestly, sighing a bit.

"You're right. We haven't sparred very hard against each other since we got together." She kissed his cheek lightly. "Gotta keep pushing ourselves."

He kissed her lightly back. “Yeah, it is kinda hard to want to fight you when fucking is so much more fun.” He chuckled.

She blushed. "We have been doing a lot of that lately, especially after fights. You really need to stop pinning me to the floor. You're causing all of this." She poked him in the chest in an accusatory fashion, but, from the smirk on her face, it was easy to tell that her heart wasn't actually into the argument.

He leaned in close to her, and huskily whispered. “You like getting pinned, and you know it.” He stole a quick kiss, and moved back to eat his brownies. He smirked as he took a bite. “But, you're not entirely wrong.” He shrugged.

She shuddered at the sound of his voice. "Y- yeah, I like to get pinned." Her eyes roamed his body. "Mmm. Next week is going to suck. If we spar, you're going to literally make me explode."

He looked her over with an appraising eye. “Then, I guess, we aren't sparring next week.” He told her simply. “As interesting as the idea is, I don’t want to risk it.”

"I guess I'll spar with Dad and Jacob, then." She sighed eyes locked on his chest. "Yeah, I know your eyes are up there."

He shook his head at her a bit. “You really are a horny mess sometimes. You know that right?” He told her, chuckling lightly to himself before he raised an eyebrow at her. “Tell me, how did you manage when we would spar in Yutan? It must've been torture some days.”

"You do this to me." She shrugged. "Normally, the very cold walk home would help. And, I always had my fingers and an imagination, if not." She was bright red now.

“Why are you blushing?” He laughed. “We have literally had our mouths on each others fun bits. There is no reason to be shy about it.” He teased, leaning in a bit. “You can tell me these things.” He added, kissing her lightly.

"Talking about touching myself to the thought of you is embarrassing, As." She covered her face as she stuttered her way through the words.

He pulled her hand off of her face, and looked her in the eyes. “I have thought about you while I got off.” He told her seriously. “We are a couple, and we're going to be married soon. It's okay if we get off to each other.”

"Wait. You did?" She asked quietly, thinking back on their time in Yutan. "I didn't think-"

“Once or twice.” He told her honestly. “I was drunk, and it was the hottest day in Yutan that day. You were very wet, and, well, it left little to the imagination.” He smirked.

She hummed. "Oh! Shit. I remember that. I was walking under an awning, and a pile of melting snow fell right on me when I came out from under it. Shit was cold."

He nodded. “Yeah, I remember that.” He commented, looking at her chest. “It was a sight.”

"My nipples were hard for hours." She laughed, stealing a kiss. "You're welcome for the show."

“Thank you.” He replied, kissing her back. “But, I do like the shows I get now far more.”

She smirked, leaning back, and slowly slipping her shirt over her head, leaving just her bra and daggers on her torso. She broke a piece of brownie and put two small morsels one on each breast before sighing. "Oh, you do?"

He smirked at her, and leaned over to kiss her. He slowly removed two daggers from her, before he moved down to gently take the bits of brownie off of her. He chewed them slowly, and looked at her. “So much more interactive.” He teased, running a hand up the inside of her leg.

Her leg twitched into his hand, wanting to feel him more firmly against her. "I enjoy it, too." She told him, removing the three daggers from her belt. "I have too many weapons."

“Yes, you do.” He sighed, removing two daggers from her thighs. “This thing gets in the way.” He told her, leaning in to kiss her belly button.

She removed the other two daggers from her thighs before rolling her eyes, and reaching back to grab the dagger strapped to her upper back near her shoulder blades. "I keep forgetting about the new one." She complained.

He got out of his chair, and leaned her back, supporting her form as he kissed his way up to meet her eyes. He removed the dagger from her back, and lightly trailed the dagger down her skin. “You have too many of these. You are going to cut yourself on one someday.” He told her seriously, sitting her upright again.

She shook her head. "Been there. Done that. Learned my lesson. That's why all the holsters I have are the hard kind." She removed one dagger from each forearm, and started to reach down to the four on her calves. "Sorry I'm not super easy access when armed."

He moved his hands to undo the back of her bra as she was leaned over. “I can make do. Could still get you off fully armed.” He smirked at her.

"Just can't get me undressed except for my shirt while fully armed." She smirked. "And my pants would only go down to here." She pointed to just above halfway down her thigh.

He looked at the point at where she said, and thought for a moment. “Oh, yeah, I could work with that.” He nodded. “Either you bent over or your legs up in the air. I could do you like that.” He said, waggling his eyebrows.

She smiled as the last daggers came off. "I'm flexible enough for whatever. Bend me in half for all I care."

“Don’t tempt me.” He told her. “I will put that to the test.” He smirked almost threateningly.

"You haven't seen me stretch properly have you?" She suddenly asked out of curiosity. The lust in her voice momentarily abated.

He shook his head. “No, but we haven't been together that long, so it makes sense.” He told her.

She stood up, removing her pants, leaving just her bra and underwear before she moved into the living room. "I need more space." She told him before easily sliding into a split with her right leg in front. She switched to the left leg. "These are just the easy ones." She explained before she lowered down into a center split. "I'm very bendy."

He watched her as she did this, and a smile took his face. “Well, I am impressed. And horny.” He told her honestly.

She moved her legs out of the split, and laid on the ground stomach first, using her arms to arch her back while her legs moved forward to meet her head making a small circle. "Well, horny, I'm Magdiana the contortionist. What would you like to do to me?"

He stood up, and walked over to her. He gently took her legs, and pulled them forward and down. She rolled forward a bit until her feet were flat on the floor. “How does that feel?" He asked, making sure she was fine.

"Oh, that's fine. I've done it before. I was just being lazy." She laughed.

He smiled at her, and moved her legs apart a bit. He put some weight on her legs to keep her feet on the floor. His hand trailed down her stomach to her mound where he rubbed her through her underwear. “And, how does that feel?” He smirked at her.

She shivered underneath him. "As," she sighed. "That's nice."

“Good.” He smiled, removing his hand, and snaking it under her panties. He gently rubbed her clit before his fingers circled her opening. “And, what about that?”

"Oh, please, don't stop." She whined, quivering at his touch.

He smirked at her reaction, and gently inserted his fingers into her. He moved them slowly in and out of her, making sure to keep an eye on her. “I bet you have never had this done to you.” He commented, watching her body carefully.

"N- no, but I'm currently wondering why I never did." She moaned.

He giggled at her moan, and moved his fingers faster in and out of her. He rubbed her leg with his thumb as his fingers worked her. He leaned down, and kissed her skin, savoring the taste of her. “You needed help.” He whispered.

She slowly relaxed into his touch, letting her arms move her torso down, but leaving her legs and lower back where they were. "I like it." She told him between pleasurable gasps.

“I’m glad.” He quietly told her. He curled his fingers into her as he moved, using his thumb to work her clit now. “Also, I can tell.” He told her, feeling her wetness on his fingers.

"As, more." She begged from beneath him. "Please."

He nodded, and moved his fingers faster now, wanting to bring her the pleasure she desired.

She moaned, and her muscles twitched in pleasure. A moment later, she was calling out in ecstasy as her toes curled and her back arched farther, if that was possible. When she finished, she was panting. "Fuck." She mumbled.

He slowly moved his fingers inside of her as she panted. “You liked that a lot.” He commented, removing his fingers from inside of her, and licking them clean. He removed his weight from her legs, letting her relax if she wanted.

She kicked her legs back, and rested face first on the floor. "Yeah, that was," she sighed. "That was a good one."

He laid down on the floor, and moved over to kiss her cheek. “There will be many more like that in the future now that I know how flexible you are.” He smirked.

She kissed him back. "Yes, please. That was hot. I'm," she blushed, "dripping."

He raised an eyebrow at her both shocked and impressed. “Are you really already wanting to go again?” He asked her seriously.

"I want you." She told him seriously. "Not your fingers."

He leaned in, and kissed her longingly. “Then, let's go to the bedroom.” He told her as he pulled away.

"I'm going to need help. I'm putty right now." She giggled.

He shook his head at her, chuckling to himself as he did so. “Then, you should be easier to bend.” He smirked as he rolled her over, and picked her up in his arms.

She held his neck and shoulders for support. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I could be bent more now."

He kissed her on the lips. “Good. This next one will be fun.” He smirked as he walked her into the bedroom, and set her down on the edge of their bed. “But, first, I need to take off my clothes.” He commented, starting to disrobe for her.

She watched him strip for her, and felt a rush of lust wash over her. "Fuck me, you're glorious."

“I fully intend to.” He smiled at her, walking over to her naked, and kissing her.

She kissed him deeply back, reaching out, and squeezing his muscles with her hands. "I love you." She whispered to him.

“I love you.” He whispered to her, taking off her bra as he did so. He kissed his way down her chest and to her panties, which he quickly removed and tossed aside. He kissed his way back up to her meet her gaze before lightly pushing her back on the bed.

She laid back onto the bed, arching into his every touch. "If I know anything about that mind of yours, As, it's that you are about to do some very creative things to me."

He smiled at her. “Yes, I am, or, at least, I think they are.” He chuckled, grabbing her ankles, and moving them up to her head. He gave her a small kiss as he got close to her face. “I need you to stay like this for a moment. Think you can do that?” He asked her.

"Yes." She sighed, smirking up at him.

“Good.” He replied, letting go of her ankles, and moving in between her legs to grab her hands, entwining his fingers in hers. He pulled her arms in between her legs over the top of them. He spread her arms wide, holding her hands to the bed, pinning her legs where they were. He leaned down to kiss her passionately, teasing her opening with his erection.

She moaned into the kiss. She tried to buck her hips into his, and found that his weight made it difficult to move much of anything in this position. "As." She begged.

He smirked a bit, giving her a small kiss before he put himself inside of her. He moved slowly in and out of her. His hands holding onto hers as he slowly fucked her in the position she was in. “I love you.” He whispered to her.

"Love." She gasped into him. "Oh. Oh. Mmm. Fuck me, As." She pointed her toes to stretch her legs more, giving him better access.

He nodded, and moved his hips faster. He moaned as he heard her noises. He kissed her lightly, moving to her ear, and nibbling a bit before moving to kiss her neck.

"Ahh." She panted as she felt him nibbling her ear. She leaned her neck away for him to give him better access to the skin there. "You feel amazing." Magdiana finally sighed.

Astero lightly bit her neck. His teeth just resting on her skin. “You feel amazing.” He said, moving his hips into her. He squeezed her hands lightly, rubbing the back of them with his thumbs. He moved his head away to look her over appraisingly. “Gods, I wasn't expecting you to be this flexible.” He smiled down at her.

"You have literally seen me flip and back bend." She paused to moan. Her inner muscles clenched around him, and her neck arched back as pleasure wracked her body. "Mmm. What did you expect? Close, Astero."

He let out a moan as he could feel her walls move around him. “I have, but I wasn't expecting a goddess for a future wife.” He told her, moving faster now, finding himself getting ever closer as he moved.

"I think I prefer Queen." She told him just before she fell over the edge. "Astero!" She screamed as she came while he fucked her as he stretched her. Her muscles shook beneath him as her toes curled and legs flexed.

He came as she did, moaning as his seed spilled into her. He held her hands tightly as he came. “Fuck, that was intense.” He panted for a long moment before he leaned in to kiss her, and let go of her hands to cast the spell on her.

She looked up to him, and smiled. "Thank you. Can I move, now?" She asked him playfully with a wink.

He stole a quick kiss from her. “Maybe I'll keep you like this.” He smirked, and paused before he moved to let her get control of her body again.

She slowly lowered each leg one by one. "It's not often I hold those poses for that long. That'll take some getting used to." She told him as she stretched. She hooked his neck with her arms, stealing a kiss. "I love you."

“I love you more.” He replied, kissing her back, and laying down next to her. “Now and forever.” He told her truthfully.

"Until the end." She kissed his temple eyes closing in content.

He kissed her lightly, holding her close to him. He sighed happily. “I could stay this way forever.”

"Well, we'll have to be sure to get a tenday off of work when we get married so we can do just this." She chuckled. "But, we've got shit to do tomorrow."

“I know.” He sighed a bit, looking her over with a smile. “We're going to be fucking exhausted after that tenday.” He chuckled at her.

"We're going to be fucking exhausted during that tenday." She corrected, booping his nose with her pointer finger.

He smiled, and kissed her on the nose. “Yes, we are. Not to mention naked basically the whole time.” He lustfully looked her over.

"You'll have to make sure that we have plenty of groceries." She told him seriously. "And liquids. Lots of them."

“Don’t worry. We will have enough food to survive a famine, and enough liquids to drown a shark.” He joked. “I will make sure that the only time we need to leave the house is for any ideas we come up with.”

"Well, we might have to go for a nice swim." She smiled at him. "But, for now, sleep."

He nodded, and pulled her in to cuddle. “Okay, my Queen.” He whispered to her, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, My Knight." She whispered, yawning widely. "Love you."

“Love you, too. Night.” He yawned.


End file.
